CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed universities to file a detailed report on the status of conducting examinations either online or offline and their detailed schedule, within three weeks.The issue pertains to petitions challenging the State government’s decision to cancel arrear exams in view of the pandemic. The court also heard a plea filed by advocate Ramkumar Adityan that a section of universities, especially Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and University of Madras, were releasing results without conducting exams.
The first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy sought for the State to submit its report on the interim directions passed by the court.Additional Government Pleader E Manoharan contended that the GO on cancellation of exams was issued to avoid mass congregation of students when the pandemic was at its peak. However, the efforts of the State have brought the situation under control, he added. It was also brought to the notice of the court that some universities have begun conducting exams after its interim orders.
On December 1, the division bench of Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha passed interim orders that universities in the State are free to conduct exams through the online or offline mode or a combination of both despite the Government Order passed for cancellation of examinations. The court restrained universities in the State from declaring as passed, students who have arrears, without conducting examinations either online or offline, or via a combination of both methods.