No date for final yr exams yet, but colleges begin prep

Higher Education Department Adopts Wait & Watch Policy

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:4.5.2020

The higher education department is yet to announce dates for semester exams, but colleges and universities have begun preparations, keeping in mind the need to follow social distancing norms.

To reduce students per classroom, some institutions are planning to reduce exam duration, splitting students into two batches and conduct online exams.

The University Grants Commission has suggested that semester exams be conducted from July 1 to 31. But the situation in Tamil Nadu, where the number of Covid-19 positive cases is increasing, has made the higher education department adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy.

Educational institutions are, however, keeping themselves busy, ensuring that they will be in a position to hold the exams whenever the government gives its nod.

Guru Nanak College principal M G Ragunathan said they planned to reduce the exam duration from three hours to two hours and conduct exams in two sessions a day.

“The written exam is only for 50 marks. It would help prevent students gather outside the college in large numbers before and after the exams,” he said.

The college also plans to make available sanitizers and masks to the students during the exams.

“If we plan well, exams for final year students can be conducted in a week and we can evaluate answer scripts in a week,” he added.

S Kothai, principal of Ethiraj College for Women which has more than 8,000 students, said they usually had around 50 girls in a class during an exam.

“Now, we plan to reduce it to 20 or 25 students so that social distancing is maintained.”

More than 3,000 students would appear for each session and the college was planning to reduce the number of students, she said, adding that the management was also thinking of conducting online exams to MBA and MCA students.

University of Madras vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said the exam schedule would be planned based on the state government’s direction. “It is possible to conduct exams by maintaining social distancing norms once colleges are allowed to function.

“We will conduct exams only for final year students which means one-third of the students alone would come to the college. We can even split final year students into two batches - BCom students and others.” More than 50% of the university’s undergraduates are B Com students.

Anna University is also planning to conduct exams semester wise to maintain social distancing norms when colleges reopene.

“We will start with eighth semester students and conduct exams semester wise,” an official from the university said.

Many students in engineering colleges are from outside the state and some are from outside the country.

“If we have to conduct exams, transport needs to be restored.

“We will give priority to final year students and will help them to finish their courses as soon as possible,” said vice-chancellor M K Surappa.

Higher education minister K P Anbalagan said the state government would take a call on conducting exams after seeing how Covid-19 situation pans out.

“UGC has recommended a schedule for conducting exams. But, we will take a decision based on the situation in the state,” he said.

The University Grants Commission has suggested that semester exams be conducted from July 1 to 31. But the situation in Tamil Nadu, where the number of Covid-19 positive cases is increasing, has made the higher education department adopt a ‘wait and watch’ policy. Educational institutions are, however, keeping themselves busy