COVID-19 effect: CM urges PM to back State on cancelling final exams

COVID-19 effect: CM urges PM to back State on cancelling final exams

‘Issue relevant instructions to apex bodies conducting professional courses’

27/06/2020

Safe option: The State has decided not to hold final year exams of non-professional courses and professional courses File PhotoAtish Pomburfekar

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to instruct relevant apex bodies to cancel final year/semester exams of professional courses in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In a letter dated June 25, the Chief Minister said, “Considering the current COVID-19 situation, the State Disaster Management Authority, in a meeting on June 18, decided not to conduct final year/semester examinations of non-professional as well as professional courses, and award degrees to students based on a formula to be decided by universities.”

“Further, an option would be given to students who want to take examinations whenever they are held,” he said. Mr. Thackeray told Mr. Modi that it was also decided to get the decision on professional courses endorsed by the respective apex authorities as these are regulated by national level apex bodies like All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Council for Architecture (COA), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), Bar Council of India (BCI), National Council For Teachers Education (NCTE), and National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT).

“I request you to instruct the national-level apex authorities to endorse the decision of the State government regarding cancellation of final year/final semester examinations of professional courses and to issue necessary guidelines to universities in this regard,” Mr. Thackeray said in the letter.

He added that students and parents are concerned about the final year/semester examinations of the academic year 2019-20 and commencement of the next academic year in view of the prevailing crisis. “The present atmosphere caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is not conducive to conduct examinations or classes in educational institutes,” the Chief Minister said in the letter.

‘Need uniform guidelines’

Requesting Mr. Modi to issue uniform guidelines, the CM tweeted that Maharashtra Government has taken a decision to not conduct the final year/final semester examination of non-professional courses as well as professional courses as the present atmosphere is not yet conducive to conduct any examination or classes.