You are playing with the lives of children: Delhi HC slams DU's decision to push OBE to August 15

The Delhi University has informed the Delhi High Court that the examinations for the final-year students will now commence from August 15 instead of July 10. The High Court Tuesday had asked the university to make its stand clear on the date sheet for Open Book Examinations (OBE).

Senior advocate Sachin Dutta and advocate Mohinder Rupal, appearing for DU, submitted before Justice Prathiba M Singh that it will hold exams after August 15. The court, which conducted the hearing through video conferencing, expressed displeasure over the varsity's decision and said, “Just see how you are playing the lives of children. You were not fair with the court about your preparedness for holding the online examinations. You are saying you are ready but the minutes of your meeting shows the contrary,” Justice Singh told the DU counsel. The court will resume the hearing in the matter at 2.30 PM.

Commenting on the decision to postpone the exams, Dr Abha Dev Habib, Treasurer, Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) said that this has left the students disappointed and dejected. "This means a delay in results and grant of degrees. But can postponement help students? The answer is no. Various reports indicate that the COVID graph is going up, and it may peak in November. This means many more students and households will be affected by then. Going to CSCs will be difficult and many parts of the country may be under lockdown. This flip-flop of the Minster of HRD has left students disappointed and ignored," said Dr Habib. "MHRD and UGC notifications in the last few days do use words like 'COVID' and 'well-being', but the decisions ignore these completely. A greater tragedy for all those students who had been granted relief by their Universities and States and now have been pushed towards the examinations," she added.

The High Court was hearing a petition by several final year DU students seeking quashing and withdrawal of the notifications of May 14, May 30 and June 27 on online exams for undergraduate and postgraduate students, including the School of Open Learning and Non-Collegiate Women Education Board. As an alternative prayer, it also sought a direction to DU to evaluate the final year students based on the previous years' or semesters' results in the same manner as the university has planned to promote the first and second-year students. 

(With inputs from PTI)