SOORAJ K.P. Vs. UNIVERSITY OF CALICUT

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner, who is stated to be a student of Law pursuing his education in the Government Law College, Thrissur, has approached this Court seeking a direction to the Calicut University that the examinations scheduled as per Exts.P2 and P3 be conducted on-line since many students of the College have now been detected to be Covid-19 positive.

(2.) Sri.Rajith, learned Standing Counsel for the Bar Council of India submitted that the interest of his client is to protect the lives and career of the law students and that they be allowed to enrol at the earliest. He added to this by saying that a discretion has been, however, granted by the Bar Council of India to the various Universities to conduct the examinations either on-line or off-line and that they leave it to them to do so effectively and efficiently.

(3.) In response to the afore submissions made on behalf of the petitioner by his learned counsel, Sri.K.R.Arun Krishnan, the learned Standing Counsel for the University, Sri.P.C.Sasidharan, submitted that the apprehensions voiced by the petitioner in this writ petition are completely baseless since the examinations are being conducted all over India through the physical mode. He, however, submitted that it is not easy for the University to conduct on-line examinations of so many students in such a short notice, particularly because it requires greater amounts of infrastructure and invigilance which is not presently available. He, however, added that the University will conduct the examinations in the off-line mode, strictly complying with the COvid-19 protocol and that all those students who are found Covid-19 positive would certainly be allowed to write the examinations in enclosed spaces without being exposed to any other students. He also assured this Court that every necessary action and steps required under the Disaster Management Act and as instructed by the Health Authority and the District Administration will be put in place, while the examinations are conducted.