The petitions state that DU's decision to conduct the exam on May 28, the day of Bakrid, is “wholly contrary to the conduct adopted by other constitutional authorities, public institutions and national examination bodies across the country, all of whom have reasonably accommodated students and stakeholders in view of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid).”Amid backlash over the Faculty of Law, Delhi University’s (DU) decision to hold an examination on the day of Bakrid on May 28, the varsity informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that students who wish to participate in the festivities may inform the Dean of the college through email by Wednesday, adding that the examination would be rescheduled for the exempted students after July 4.The submission was made by advocate Mohinder Rupal on behalf of the varsity, following two petitions moved by students of the Faculty of Law, DU, who approached the high court highlighting that despite May 28 being officially declared a public holiday on the occasion of Bakrid, DU had “arbitrarily decided to continue examinations on the said date.”When the examination schedule was put out by the varsity on May 4, the Delhi government holiday for Bakrid was notified for May 27. Consequently, 27 May was kept as a free day in the examination schedule. However, following the moon-sighting announcements and confirmations by religious authorities across India, the date to observe Bakrid was changed to Thursday, May 28. Subsequently, DU on May 25 notified May 28 as an official holiday.The students in their petition submitted that the decision to conduct exams on Bakrid effectively deprives them of their “right to peacefully observe and celebrate an important religious festival.”The matter was taken up before Justice Jasmeet Singh on Tuesday, whereupon DU’s counsel told the court at the outset that the varsity had made a concession that those participating in the festivities could notify the Dean accordingly, and a special examination would be held for the exempted students after July 4.The petitions state that DU’s decision to conduct the exam on May 28, the day of Bakrid, is “wholly contrary to the conduct adopted by other constitutional authorities, public institutions and national examination bodies across the country, all of whom have reasonably accommodated students and stakeholders in view of Eid-ul-Zuha (Bakrid).”Further, the petitioners argued that DU’s refusal to extend similar accommodation, despite the availability of sufficient administrative flexibility for rescheduling a single examination paper, “demonstrates complete non-application of mind, institutional insensitivity and failure to uphold the constitutional values of secularism, equality and fairness.”Story continues below this adThe court disposed of the petitions and recorded DU’s statement in its order, noting: “(DU’s counsel Mohinder Rupal) on instruction states that the students belonging to the minority community and/or students who wish to participate in Bakrid festivities on May 28 may inform the Dean Faculty of Law through email by tomorrow (Wednesday) and the exam which is proposed to be held on May 28 will be held after July 4. The rescheduled exam will be notified to students at least one week in advance before the exam.”Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd