The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to postpone the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering Exam (GATE) scheduled to be held on 5 February amidst COVID-19 restrictions in many parts of the country.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath dismissed a batch of pleas, saying that postponing GATE just 48 hours before the scheduled examination will result in “chaos and uncertainty” and it cannot play with careers of students, who have prepared for it.

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Besides, it is a matter of academic policy as to when examination should be held and the court cannot enter this arena, the apex court said.

“The plea for postponement of GATE examination barely 48 hours before the scheduled date February 5, 2022, is replete with the potential for chaos and uncertainty, in the lives of students who have registered for the examination. There is no overarching reason why this court in the exercise of jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution should supplant the duties and functions of the regulatory authorities, who have taken a decision to hold the examination,” the bench said.

“On a considered perspective of the position and consistent with the circumspect which must be exercised by this court in interfering with academic matters, we are not inclined to entertain a petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. These petitions are accordingly dismissed,” it added.

At the outset, the bench said, “We cannot start postponing exams like this, everything is opening up now. We cannot play with the careers of the students like this. One of the petitioners before us is a coaching centre”.

The bench noted that nine lakh students are to appear in the examination and around 20,000 students have signed an online petition for postponing the examination.

“The students have prepared for it and the court cannot play with the careers of the students by postponing the examination,” the bench observed, adding that the first and second wave of COVID was something different.

“Only statutory authorities can look into this. Students have burnt midnight oil and prepared for the examination. The examination is on February 5 and if we stay the examination now, then there will be chaos in the country”, it said.

On Wednesday, the top court had agreed to list a plea seeking postponement of the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering Exam (GATE) commencing from February 5 due to the COVID pandemic situation.

The plea for postponement of the examination said that nine lakh students are appearing in the test at 200 centres and the authorities have not issued any Covid-appropriate guidelines for conducting the exam.