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Judgment
Murali Purushothaman, J
The contention of the petitioners in all these writ petitions is that the University is not following the requirement of 90 working days per semester for the Post Graduation Courses as prescribed by the UGC (Minimum Standards of Instruction for the Grant of Master's Degree through Formal Education) Regulations, 2003. Clause 4.1 thereof reads thus:-
"Every university enrolling students for the first degree programme shall ensure that the number of actual teaching days on which classes such as lectures, tutorials, seminars, and practicals are held or conducted is not less than 180 in an academic year, excluding holidays, vacations, time set apart for completing admissions and time required for conduct of examinations."
Further, Clause 3.5 of Mahatma Gandhi University PG Programme Regulations For Credit Semester System reads as follows:-
" 'Semester' means a term consisting of a minimum of 90 working days, inclusive of examination, distributed over a minimum of 18 weeks of 5 working days each."
The grievance of the petitioners is with regard to non-compliance with the requirement of minimum working days in a Semester in the PG Programme. Now that the petitioners in these writ petitions have completed the PG Course. Therefore, the matter has become academic.
Sri.Surin Geroge Ipe, the learned standing counsel for the M.G University, submits that the aforesaid Regulations could not be adhered to during the period of COVID-19 and as far as possible, these Regulations as also other Regulations issued by the UGC from time to time will be adhered to. Submission is recorded. Since the petitioners have completed the PG Course, no other prayer survives for consideration in these writ petitions. Accordingly, the writ petitions are closed.