<span style="color: #222222;">In Maharashtra, the State Government has informed the Bombay High Court that the decision to cancel the final-year degree exams of both professional and non-professional courses was taken in view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across the state.<br />'' <br />'' In an affidavit, Director of Higher Education Dhanraj Mane said, it has been established that the virus is highly contagious and life-threatening and can spread through handling of paper. It further said that the final examination which a student gives is only one amongst many examinations that a student gives during the entire length of the concerned educational course.<br />'' <br />'' The government claimed that it has powers under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act and the Epidemic Diseases Act to issue such orders cancelling the exams.<br />''<br />''The court was hearing a petition filed by Dhananjay Kulkarni, a retired teacher and an ex-Senate member from Pune, stating that the State Government has no power to take such a decision. The petition will be taken up for hearing on Friday.</span><br />