Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a contempt notice to Delhi University for withholding information of postponement of OBE and “misleading” the court. The OBE has been rescheduled and will now begin from July 10. 
Delhi University on June 26 informed the bench of justices Hima Kholi and Subramonium Prasad that the varsity is “thoroughly geared” up to conduct Open Book Examinations for its final year students. Based on the provided information, the bench had expressed its instinct to deny a petition seeking the cancellation of exams for PWD (person with disabilities) students.
The Court expressed its annoyance on hearing about the shift in exams through news report.
DU took its stance in defense and said that it came to know on June 26 at around 2:20 pm that, mother of varsity’s deputy registrar (secrecy) has been tested COVID-19 positive and the entire family had to be quarantined.
The court, however, refused to accept the reason and said, “If the stand of Delhi university is correct that because a family member of deputy registrar (secrecy) had gone down with Covid-19 and the university came to know that the entire family had to be quarantined only after the matter was over, then there was enough time for the university to have reverted to this court on the same day or at least the next morning and inform us”
However, “this did not happen,” the court said. “…We are prima facie of the opinion that contempt proceedings ought to be initiated against DU and its officers for withholding information from the court and trying to mislead it,” the court added. It issued notice to the varsity and sought its stand as to why contempt of court proceedings not be initiated against it and listed the matter for July 6.
