Mumbai: The Shiv Sena's youth wing Yuva Sena on Saturday (July 18, 2020) moved the supreme court seeking cancellation of the final year exams of universities across states in view of the COVID-19 crisis.
Yuva Sena has filed writ petition with the Hon’ble Supreme Court against the UGC’s decision to conduct Final Year exams. Secretary Varun Sardesai confirmed filing the petition, taking to Twitter he wrote: "India has crossed 10lakh mark for Covid Cases. Yet @ugc_india is adamant on compulsory examinations. We have written to them and requested reconsideration multiple times but to no avail. Hence, Yuva Sena has filed a Writ Petition (PIL) in the Supreme Court of India."
The Yuva Sena has demanded all states be given the right to take an appropriate decision based on the prevailing situation in their respective areas.
The youth wing is headed by Aaditya Thackeray who holds environment and tourism portfolios in the Shiv Sena-led state government.
The state government has already cancelled the final year/final semester examinations for professional and non- professional courses.
Referring to the University Grant Commission (UGC)'s circular asking states to conduct the final year exams, Sardesai said it was impossible to do so amid apprehensions about the spread of infection in state like Maharashtra which has 10 lakh students.
He claimed that the Yuva Sena had obtained more than two lakh signatures seeking cancellation of exams during an online campaign.
"Yuva Sena under leadership of Aaditya Thackeray wrote letters to the UGC and Union HRD ministry to highlight the issue but has got no response," he added.
Maharashtra has 2,92,589 coronvirus positive cases, including 99,164 in Mumbai, as on July 17.
