HPU review plea accepted, exams on schedule

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 18

While the the late-night decision of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) to postpone the final semester undergraduate (UG) examinations slated for today caused inconvenience to students, who reached examination centres, the High Court accepted the review petition of the university paving the way for continuation of the examinations on schedule.

Consequently, all examinations will be held as per schedule from tomorrow (August 19) while the next date for the postponed examination will be announced soon, said Vice-Chancellor of the HPU Prof Sikander Kumar.

The HPU had filed a review petition. After hearing both sides, the court dismissed the petition filed by Yaseen Mohd, contending therein that the Central Government had not allowed the opening of schools and colleges but the HPU had issued a schedule for the final examinations of UG classes and permitted the HPU to go ahead with theexaminations.

The confusion was created as Education Minister Gobind Thakur emphatically said the examinations would continue but the government realised that it could amount to contempt of court and asked the university to file the review petition and postpone the examinations slated for today.

Uncertainty prevailed as the students were not aware that the examinations would be held. Frantic efforts were made to inform the students about postponement of the examinations. The colleges posted the decision on their Facebook page and college sites and used other means to inform the students.

However, still a section of students reached the examination centres and faced inconvenience.

The Education Minister also said the review petition of the university against orders of August 14, asking the university “not to proceed with examination schedule”, had been accepted by the high court and there is no stay from the apex court. As such the examinations would be conducted as scheduled from tomorrow and all precautions like social distancing, sanitization and wearing of masks would be taken.

In the dock for communication gap

• The HPU decided to postpone the exam to be held on Tuesday at 10 pm last night. The laid-back approach of the university authorities as well as the government has not gone down well with the students and their wards who questioned the lack of coordination and demanded that accountability should be fixed and action be taken against person responsible for the communication gap.
• The office-bearers of the HGCTA maintained that they had urged the university authorities to go ahead with exams after August 28 once there is clarity but their suggestion was not accepted.
• However, the mystery why the HC order passed on August 14 was not conveyed to the HPU and the government immediately as it concerned the future of thousands of students and the government came to know about it on Monday morning when the examinations had already commenced is yet to be unearthed.