Maha: Not possible to hold final year exams

Maha: Not possible to hold final year exams

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:  09.07.2020

Stating that in the prevailing situation it would not be possible for the Maharashtra government and its universities to conduct final year examinations, Uday Samant, higher education minister of Maharashtra appealed to the ministry of human resource development on Tuesday for uniform guidelines for awarding degrees.

A day after the University Grants Commission in its revised guidelines asked the higher education institutions to conduct the examinations for final year students by September-end in offline (pen and paper)/ online/ blended mode, the Maharashtra government said that it’s not feasible and “if conducted, would endanger the well being of students, parents, teachers, supporting staff and other machinery involved in the process.”

The ministry of home affairs on Monday gave a goahead of the conduct of the terminal semester/ final year examination following which the UGC issued the revised guidelines. In his letter to Ramesh Pokhriyal, Union minister for HRD and a copy to Amit Shah, Union home minister, Samant said: “Maharashtra is the worst affected state with more than two lakh cases confirmed cases so far. In such unforeseen, uncertain and critical challenging situation, conduction of final year exams of approximately more than ten lakh students seems highly infeasible task…” He also cited that a large number of students were infected by the virus in states and countries where exams were conducted.

The minister said that Maharashtra government arrived at the decision to award degrees based on evaluation of student’s performance of previous semesters and internal assessment.

UGC issues SOPs for univs to conduct final year exams

UGC issues SOPs for univs to conduct final year exams

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:09.07.2020

UGC on Wednesday issued the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for universities and higher education institutions for conducting examinations in view of the Covid-19 outbreak. While reiterating that higher education institutions have to conduct examinations for only the final year students, the regulatory authority said measures like sanitisation of the entire examination floors have to be ensured and admit/identity cards should be treated as pass for movement.

The Commission had on Monday given time to universities to conduct the final year exams by September-end in offline (pen and paper), online or blended mode and as per the prescribed guidelines related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The SOPs issued by UGC list out 31measures to be taken during the examination process, starting from movement of students and staff to the “the end of the day” protocols.

It has asked universities to abide by the guidelines issued by the central and respective state governments while giving them a free hand to frame “stricter provisions and guidelines, if they find necessary.

As per the SOPs, after every session, the examination floors and candidates’ seating areas including desks and chairs, door handles, staircases, railings and wheelchairs should be disinfected. Also fresh masks and gloves are to be used by exam functionaries after staff verification is done.

There is a separate set of protocols for staff-verification which will entail each functionary giving a self-declaration about health status, wearing of masks and gloves at all times. Any staff member failing to meet the self-declaration norms or thermal temperature check will be asked to leave the exam centre.

Full report on www.toi.in

SAYING NO: NSUI members protest against conducting exams in New Delhi on wednesday

Inquiry ordered into treatment of Jeyaraj, Beniks at govt hosps

Inquiry ordered into treatment of Jeyaraj, Beniks at govt hosps

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  09.07.2020

The directorate of medical services has ordered inquiry into treatment offered to P Jeyaraj and his son P Beniks by government doctors in Sathankulam and Kovilpatti. The inquiry will be conducted by a joint director of medical services to verify sequence of events and see if any medical negligence has taken place or not.

DMS Dr Gurunathan said he has received reports from doctors at two government hospitals – Santhankulam Government Hospital and Kovilpatti Government General Hospital -- though the Tuticorin joint director of health Dr P Pon Esakki. “An inquiry will now be held in a week and we are expecting the report soon,” Gurunathan said.

Senior officials said during the inquiry doctors will be asked why they made certain decisions, the diagnosis and treatment protocols. “We will see if they had made the right diagnosis, done the necessary tests, called the specialists concerned and administered standard treatment,” a senior health department official said.

As per the report forwarded by Pon Esakki, Jeyaraj and Beniks were arrested by Sathankulam police on June 19. The next day, they were taken to the Sathankulam Government Hospital for treatment of injuries caused when the two of them “fell down and rolled” on the ground. The duty medical officer Dr Vennila, who examined the injuries in foot (sole side), index finger and aberration on the buttocks of 31-year-old Beniks, and injuries in the gluetial region of 58-year-old Jeyaraj. She treated them both for high blood pressure and filled up the ‘performa for health screening of prisoners on admission to jail’, along with a footnote: “file for remand”.

The two were remanded and taken to Kovilpatti subjail on June 20. A doctor from the Kovilpatti GH who visited Beniks and Jeyaraj in the jail suggested they be brought to Kovilpatti for treatment. On June 22, Beniks was taken to the Kovilpatti GH at 8pm with difficulty in breathing, palpitation and sweating.

Guv calls e-meet of VCs after UGC nudge on final-year exams

Guv calls e-meet of VCs after UGC nudge on final-year exams

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata:  08.07.2020

The Bengal governor wants a virtual conference with vice-chancellors of state universities on July 15 to discuss the plight of students amid the Covid pandemic, at a time the UGC, in its recent guidelines, has asked universities to hold final semester/final-year examination by September 20.

In his letter to VCs, governor Jagdeep Dhankhar said the link to the virtual conference would be provided from Raj Bhavan.

He has called the meeting days after most state universities such as Calcutta, Jadavpur, Presidency and North Bengal decided not to hold final-year examination. Instead, these varsities have worked out a method to evaluate final-year students based on their home assignments, viva and performance in the preceding semester.

State universities, other than Rabindra Bharati University, have opted for the alternative in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases in Bengal.

Dhankhar uploaded the UGC circular on compulsory holding of final examinations hours before the state government announced a stricter lockdown protocol for containment zones across Bengal from Thursday, including the 28 in Kolkata.

State education minister Partha Chatterjee has also taken note of the UGC circular. “I will consult the CM on this issue,” he said.

The governor’s stance has surprised students who had tweeted seeking his intervention to scrap the final examination amid the pandemic. One such respondent, Sudip Sarkar, pointed to the governor’s U-turn on the issue following the UGC directive. “On June 27, the governor opposed the Bengal government plans citing safety of students during the pandemic,” Sarkar tweeted.

Vice-chancellors, however, haven’t received any letter from Raj Bhavan inviting them to the virtual conference. So they prefer to lie low and wait for the state’s response. “We are yet to get any communication from Raj Bhavan,” said North Bengal University VC Subiresh Bhattacharya, who is secretary of Upacharya Parishad.

Students’ unions oppose UGC examination order

Students’ unions oppose UGC examination order

Directives From Edu Bodies Usher In Confusion Among School & College Pupils

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Pune:  08.07.2020

The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s order for conducting examination for all final-year students in offline, online or blended mode by September-end has triggered panic and confusion among the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) students.

Mahesh Kakde, controller of examination at SPPU, said the university would await a decision from the state government. “Being a state university, we have to abide by the state government rules and regulations. Once the Maharashtra government comes out with the exam rules, we shall follow the same.”

Varun Sardesai, secretary of Yuvasena, said most courses followed a semester pattern which meant subjects change per semester. “It effectively means a final-year student has completed 85-90% of the course and even studies for the final semester. Hence, an aggregate of previous examination marks must be considered to evaluate final semester students.”

Kalpesh Yadav, Pune city president of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, said, “Isn’t UGC aware about the pandemic? Exams should be cancelled and the health of students should be given top priority.”

SPPU Students’ Union, another group which has members from Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress and Yuvak Kranti Dal, had earlier sent a letter to the PMO requesting exam cancellation in the wake of Covid-19 spread.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has, however, welcomed the UGC’s move. “We think the varsity must hold exams by following all norms,” Dayanand Shinde, ABVP’s SPPU unit president, said.

PANIC AND CONFUSION

UGC to be made party to PIL on state’s call

Mumbai: The Bombay HC on Tuesday directed UGC to be made party to a PIL that seeks quashing of a state decision to issue degrees to over 10 lakh final-year students of professional and non-professional courses by giving average marks based on past performance. A bench of Justices Amjad Sayed and Makarand Karnik heard the PIL. It said the state has no power to take such a decision. TNN

Guidelines not must, says higher edu min

Mumbai: A day after the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued directives to conduct final-year exams by September-end, state higher education minister Uday Samant wrote to the Centre seeking uniform guidelines for awarding degrees based on an “appropriate evaluation formula” instead.

“I believe that the revised guidelines are advisory like the earlier ones,” Samant said. TNN

Saji Gopinath appointed 1st VC of digital science varsity

Saji Gopinath appointed 1st VC of digital science varsity

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Thiruvananthapuram:  08.07.2020

Saji Gopinath, director of Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITM-K), has been appointed as the first vice chancellor of Kerala University of Digital Science, Innovation and Technology.

Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in the capacity as the chancellor of the university, made the appointment here on Tuesday.

The state government had recently decided to set up a university for digital science, innovation and technology by elevating the status of IIITM-K.

The appointment, said an official statement from the office of the governor, is for a period of four years from the date on which he assumes office. The appointment is as per Section 11 (4) and (5) of the Kerala University of Digital Science, Innovation and Technology Ordinance, 2020.

The new university is being set as part of multiple steps and policies being taken by the state government to develop information technology business and digital technology.

According to the government, the university would stress on latest technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, block chain, cognitive science, internet of things, augmented reality.

There will be five schools under the university, namely, school of computing, school of electronics design and automation, school of informatics, school of digital bioscience and school of digital humanities.

‘Dropouts’ seek promotion without exams

‘Dropouts’ seek promotion without exams

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kota: 08.07.2020

Over a hundred engineering ‘dropouts’ staged a protest outside Rajasthan Technical University (RTU) in Kota demanding to be promoted without clearing pending exams on Tuesday.

These students enrolled for BTech between 2006-2011 and have exhausted all extra chances to clear their back papers. They are called dropouts and are eligible to apply for jobs which are based on Class XII exam.

The RTU had allowed them a mercy chance to clear their back papers in March and April with an aim to see them become engineers. The exams had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. So, RTU had announced to conduct the exams once the situation became normal.

The protesting students said that since the state has allowed the students to be promoted without exams, they should also be promoted.

One of the protesters, Mohammad Ameer, a 2010 student of BTech civil, with two back papers, said, “We should also be promoted in the back paper on the basis of marking in our previous papers.”

Controller of examination Dheeraj Mathur did not respond to the repeated calls and WhatsApp messages while RTU V-C Prof R A Gupta refused to speak.

A senior RTU official has called the demand ‘unjust’ by the students. “They have exhausted all chances given to them as per the RTU rule book and still failed to clear the exams. The RTU is under no obligation to provide any further chance. It is just our kindheartedness that we have decided to provide them with one last chance to clear their exam so that they can be called engineers,” said an official.

Dropouts stage protest outside Rajasthan Technical University in Kota