Thread by @barandbench

Delhi High Court begins hearing petitions concerning online open book examination for final year DU students in PWD category.

#DelhiUniversity

Cases listed before Division Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad.

Court notes that Delhi University is yet to file its affidavit on data on the mock tests.

We are hearing that there were glitches: Court

Prof Gupta is here: Adv M Rupal

I don't want oral submissions. Where is the affidavit: Court

Then the Court may give us one day : Adv Rupal

How many Common service centre are not functional?: Court

3.1 lakh are operational: ASG Chetan Sharma

I don't want to know this. Tell us how many are not functional. Mr Sibal that last time pointed out your own data : Court

Allegation was 12k were non functional : ASG Sharma

They are less than 10k and in very remote areas: Standing Counsel Ripudaman

Which paragraph is it? Nothing. All oral. We asked you for an affidavit: Court

What is your information? How many PWD candidates applied for scribes to CSCs? : Court asks DU

We don't know : Adv Rupal for DU

Give us one day: Adv Rupal

Who is appearing for CSE? Any counsel in any connected matter? : Court

CEO of CSC academy appeared before the Single Judge Bench: Adv Rupal

We will also have to do that. UOI counsel gave the particulars of the CEO: Adv Rupal

Adv Rupal informs that Single Judge has granted time to DU to file its counter in the matter before her.

Court will hear if OBE is to be permitted: Adv Rupal

On June 17, certain directions were issued to make reading material available to blind students and for making scribes available.. Students approached the authorities. They did not comply with the directions: Senior Adv SK Rungta for National Federation of the Blind.

It is an open book exam. They should at least give the books: Senior Adv Rungta

DU says it will respond to the additional affidavit filed by Senior Adv Rungta.

When wil you file ? The exams are around the corner.. they have you an affidavit you should at least be ready with the answer : Court

What is your update on mock tests? : Court

I have info about 200 odd visually impaired students. They did not participate. They did not have the material. There is no scribe. Colleges expressed their inability : Senior Adv Rungta

All these mails are with me. I forwarded it to Dean of Examination but got no response: Senior Adv Rungta

Port Anil Aneja appears before Court. He is the Nodal Officer for PWD students.

Issue was disposed of in the order of the court passed on June 17. If any student wished to buy, students may do so and DU would reimburse. We got no request for reimbursement for any student: Aneja

We were very clear that we can only provide material with us. There is some misconception about open book. It is not necessary that students are going to be asked what is on page xyz.. Material is provided at the request of a student: Aneja

Almost all requests at the last of the beginning of the lockdown was honoured: Aneja

We had an understanding with the NGO. All out reading material was provided to it. Only 26 approached the NGO : Aneja

The NGO has a country wide channel. It has an E-library for visually impaired students. Whoever made a request.. students who are asking for devices, laptops are sending emails, videos: Aneja

We did not receive any reimbursement request for any assistive device. Total Rs 2 lakh was set aside for this purpose: Aneja

No request received from any student for a scribe at CSC : Aneja

Was any scribe available yesterday during mock? : Court

Scribes are required for the second phase of mock. There are 58 requests but it is very difficult to arrange for a scribe at the home of a student. They can come to the college or CSC for a scribe: Prof Gupta

They can download the question paper from CSC, go home and come back to upload it : Prof Gupta

How many students are be accommodated in CSC : Court

In metros, 30 students can download. Few requests from remote areas There is one request from Jammu : Prof Gupta

Senior Adv Kapil Sibal for the Petitioner: Every gran panchayat has one CSC. People may not even know where it is. We don't even know if all gram panchayat have CSC.

Senior Adv Sibal reads an email written by a student raising concerns of incomplete reading material.

In rural areas, CSC has one computer. How many scribes have they recognised? : Senior Adv Sibal

It can't work like this. Requests should be made first: Court

Sibal points out that as per DU's own guideline, the student is allowed to meet the scribe two days before the exam.

In case the person with bench mark disability has to take the exam, they should be allowed to inspect the computer system one day in advance: Sibal

Yes, they can do that.. : Court

We want to know how many students are in rural and urban areas : Court

If college does not provide, then onus was me to give assistive device. There was a direction to colleges to provide material : Senior adv Rungta

How many students actually raised bills?: Court

They are were asking for reading material : Senior Adv Rungta

College was not saying that they were not giving it to me. When college is undertaking that exercise, why should I duplicate: Senior Adv Rungta

200 odd students are in remote areas. The direction was to the college to give assistive device. Nobody sent me the bill: Senior Adv Rungta

Students were to buy the device and raise the bill : Court

Please read the order with me. A wrong impression is being created : Senior Adv Rungta

199 students made requests for devices and material before the order. I have attached the request made by the students. : Senior Adv Rungta

You (DU) are saying nobody came for reimbursement. He is saying that students have the option to approach the college for the device : Court

No request for devices till June 15: Aneja

We cannot have this orally. You reply to Mr Rungta's affidavit: Court

We have given OCR material: Aneja

As per Section 42 of PWD act, DU has to provide the device: Sibal

Court asks DU to file an affidavit addressing all the issues raised today.

UGC matter is listed before the Supreme Court on Friday: Adv Rupal

We don't want you to be caught unprepared in cases Surpreme court decides to uphold the Guidelines : Court

Court dictates the order, records the submissions made by the parties.

Court seeks the information from CSC Academy on status and number of CSC and how many students would avail its facility in remote areas and urban areas.

Court seeks information on the availablity on scribes for visually impaired students. DU to reply to the issues raised by Senior Adv Rungta in his additional affidavit.

Adv HS Hora for Akshay Lakra says his Petition challenges the legality of the exams on the ground of it being ultra vires the DU Act.

At the time of the pandemic, you are getting into legality? We are looking for practical solutions : Court

We will send you back to the Single Judge. We are not getting into all this : Court

Even during the pandemic, we are covered by the DU act and ordinance: Adv HS Hora

This petition wants quashing of the DU OBE Examination. In the alternative, it wants DU to grade students on past performance. This prayer pertains to the UGC Guidelines which is under challenge before SC : Court dictates the order

It is deemed appropriate to defer hearing in this petition (Akshay Lakra). List in first first week of August: Court

Court adjourns hearing for the day.

Main matter to be heard next on July 30.

DU to also file affidavit on the data pertaining to the conduction of its mock tests.