Open-book exams: Delhi High Court issues notice to JNU

The court had earlier asked JNU to deliberate with its academic council on how to complete the classes for the monsoon semester.
Spiralling protests at JNU over a proposed hostel fee hike had hit classes.
Spiralling protests at JNU over a proposed hostel fee hike had hit classes.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday sought response of the Jawaharlal Nehru University on separate petitions challenging its decision to hold online open-book or take-home exams for the monsoon semester.Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued a notice to the JNU administration on the two petitions and listed it for further hearing on August 6. The court said for the moment, examinations will be conducted in the matter as indicated in the minutes of the meeting of Board of Studies of the schools and special centres having regard to the fact that the monsoon semester needs to be closed at the earliest.

The judge noted that the core issue raised by the petitioners is whether the JNU could conduct examination via an alternate route which needs to be examined by the court. The court was informed by central government standing counsel Monika Arora, representing JNU, that in various schools of the varsity, exams have already been conducted via regular mode and some have done it through the alternate mode.

Advocates Samiksha Godiyal and Abhik Chimni, appearing for petitioner teachers and students, said they were willing to accept it in this semester due to the time constraints. In pursuance to an earlier order, the authorities placed before the court the minutes of meetings of Board of Studies of the schools and special centres detailing the manner in which each of them wish to have examinations conducted.

The court had earlier asked JNU to deliberate with its academic council on how to complete the classes for the monsoon semester, which was disrupted due to a students’ agitation on campus, and conduct exams.
It had directed the varsity to place before the academic council the recommendations of boards of studies of its various schools and special centres on completing the classes and conducting exams.

The court was hearing two petitions challenging the varsity’s decision to conduct end-semester examinations for the 2019 monsoon semester through an alternative mode of uploading question papers on the varsity’s website or sending them to students by e-mail, and receiving answer sheets through e-mail and WhatsApp messages.

With PTI inputs

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