Eid ‘relief’ for DU students 30 mins after exams start

NEW DELHI: About 30 minutes after examinations had begun on Thursday, a Bakrid holiday, Delhi University announced that all undergraduate and postgraduate students who could not appear due to the festival would be allowed to take the examination after July 4. The decision came even as over one lakh students went ahead with their papers amid sustained demands for rescheduling.

Till then, the relaxation had been limited to minority and other law faculty students, following directions of the Delhi High Court.

The announcement, posted on DU’s X handle around 9.30am, followed days of protests by student and teacher groups seeking postponement of exams scheduled on Bakrid. The university, however, proceeded with the examinations, issuing the broader relaxation only on the morning of the exam.

“Students unable to appear in the exam on May 28 due to Eid will have the option to sit for it after July 4, 2026. Eligible students must email their principal or head of department to avail this option,” the university said in its post.

A university official said the decision to extend the exemption had been taken and approved on Wednesday night. Asked whether any notification was issued the same night, no clear response was provided.

No formal notification regarding the relaxation was available on the university website.

The timing of the announcement drew sharp criticism from student groups.

“The university made the announcement on the morning of the exam, around the time papers had already begun. For days, students approached the administration seeking rescheduling, but nothing was done. Even protesting students were removed from the controller of examinations’ office,” said Saavy Gupta, AISA DU president.

According to university officials, around 1.35 lakh undergraduate students and 12,000 postgraduate students appeared for examinations on Thursday.

“We are yet to receive exact figures and to ascertain whether students had informed their dean in advance about their inability to appear,” the official said.

Students opting to appear later will be given a separate question paper, officials added.

On Tuesday, Delhi High Court had directed DU to allow minority and other law faculty students to skip examinations falling on Eid so they could observe the festival.