Daijiworld Media Network-Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Jun 10: The South Central India Union of Seventh Day Adventist Group (SDAG) has approached the State High Court with a petition which asks the court to direct PU Board to reschedule supplementary examinations.

The PU supplementary exams are scheduled for July 2 and 9 respectively. Both these dates fall on Saturday.

The petitioners have said that the SDAG Christians observe Saturday as the day of ‘Sabbath’ throughout the year and are not expected to engage in any type of work on that day. Hence the petition says that the SDAG students cannot write exams on that day and the court should tell the PU board to change the date of exams.

“The practice of 'Sabbath' is a command issued by religious law and it should be strictly observed and practised,” the petition says.

"A representation was also given to the director of PU Board not to conduct any exams on Saturdays as students from SDAG cannot attend it, but the representation went unheeded." the petition reads.

The petitioners say that scheduling of the exams on two Saturdays is a major problem for the sect to observe Sabbath, "SDAG students will have no other option. This will be tantamount to violation of the freedom to profess, practise and propagate the religion as enshrined in Article 25(1) of the Constitution of India. The department, which is state machinery, has to protect and preserve religious observations. The timetable of the exams directly comes in the way of the community’s religious practice," the petition continues.

Hearing the petition on Thursday June 9, Justice Aravind Kumar directed the state government to file objections and adjourned the next hearing to June 13.