Centre not in favour of call to cancel exams

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  13.07.2020

Citing that many states and over 200 universities had already completed their terminal semester/final year examinations, the Centre has told states that assessment for the final year students have to be conducted in the long term interest of the students.

While saying that the government will examine the requests of six states for cancellation of examination of the final year students due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation, a senior official at the ministry of human resource development said that the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) are mandatory and central directions take precedence.

‘UGC regulations are mandatory’

On July 6, UGC’s revised guidelines directed the higher education institutions that final year examinations would be conducted in the month of September 2020, instead of July 2020 (as per its April guidelines). The decision was taken by the expert committee in view of the prevailing situation.

Speaking to TOI, Amit Khare, secretary, higher education. MHRD said that while only six states have written to it for reconsidering the UGC’s decision on final year examinations, there are 200 universities across the country which have already completed the process.

On a few states announcing the cancellation of examinations, Khare said: “The UGC regulations are mandatory and it has been clearly stated that examinations have to take place in September, 2020. Higher education being in the Concurrent List, central directions take precedence. As per the UGC Act, state governments cannot take this decision. UGC and All India Council for Technical Education have to be implemented.”

Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal have written to the Centre saying that conducting exams in the states would not be feasible and on Saturday, Delhi government also became the first state to cancel exams after the announcement of the revised UGC guidelines.