HC seeks clarity on UG, PG final exams

Hyderabad: The High Court on Monday asked the State government to clarify on the conduct of UG/PG final year examinations.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy was hearing two PILs seeking the Court to direct the government to conduct the UG / PG final year examinations online, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Justice Bollam Vijaysen Reddy pointed out that the two government letters, which have been submitted to the Court, defer each other. The first letter dated 11-09-2020 states that a decision has been taken to conduct a physical examination. However, the letter dated 12-09-2020 states that autonomous universities and colleges are free to conduct online examinations.

First of All, give clear instruction that whether to conduct online or offline examinations to the UG W/ PG students, you cannot put students in confusion, he said. Advocate General Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the Court that the autonomous universities and colleges are free to conduct either online or offline (physical) examinations. Whereas affiliated engineering colleges and degree colleges cannot have online examinations.

The Commissioner of Collegiate Education also clearly confirms the above-said matter, Advocate General asserted. Counsel for one of the petitioners C. Damodar Reddy submitted that let the Government conduct online examinations, whoever is having the online facility, they will appear in the examinations.

Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan States that once we have permitted 10th Class students and medical students to appear for the examinations. There is no reason why we should not permit the PG and UG final year students to appear for the examinations. That will be the self contradict decision taken by the same High Court, CJ Chauhan added.

The Chief Justice if anyone is in a panic situation and if anyone does not wish to take the examination due to the pandemic, moreover, if the parents and students are worried about their health, nobody is forcing them to take the examination.

In fact, the government is giving them the option please do not take the examination, do prepare for the advanced supplementary examination which will be treated as regular examination. Feel free to come back to the examination hall after 4 to 5 months later, it's all left to the discretion of parents and students, the Court observed.

The Court adjourned the matter to September 15 (Tuesday).

HC stays probe by SFIO into Karvi case

The High Court on Monday stayed further investigation by the by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office into the Karvi Stock Broking Ltd's alleged financial irregularities.

The High Court Chief Justice Bench heard two writ petition filed by the company challenging the High Court's Single Bench's order seeking to stop the investigation by the SFIO.

In the plea, the petitioner challenged the legality of the order dated 27-02-2020 issued by the Central government directing the investigation by the SFIO into the affairs of the petitioner.

Assistant Solicitor General Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao submitted that SFIO is conducting the only investigation and not taking any coercive steps against anybody.

The petitioner counsel alleged that the procedure under 206 (4) of the Companies Act, 2013 have never been followed, on the basis of the report submitted by RoC is highly misplaced, since the very foundation of the satisfaction of section 212 is vitiated.

The CJ bench observed that although the ASG submitted that merely an investigation is going on, but an investigation before the law has not been encouraged by this court, therefore, even the balance of convenience is in favour of the appellant petitioner.

Prima facie, ASG Rajeshwar Rao has not been able to show any notice issued to the petitioner company under Section 206 (4) of the Companies Act. Hence the further investigation of the affairs of the company has hereby stayed till the next date of hearing the case. The matter would be heard next on 30th September.