State to let varsities decide on exams

State to let varsities decide on exams

UGC Says Terminal, Final Semester Tests To Be Held By Sept End

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:  08.07.2020

After the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued its revised guidelines, universities in Gujarat are likely to issue examination schedules soon.

The state government is planning to issue fresh directives letting universities take the final call on holding examination for final-semester undergraduate students as well as second and fourth semester postgraduate students.

“We will study the UGC guidelines and ask the varsities to take a decision on how they want to conduct the terminal and final semester exams,” said Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, state education minister.

The new guidelines released by the UGC on Monday said that terminal semester and final-year examinations are to be conducted by universities and institutions by the end of September in pen and paper, online or blended (online + pen and paper) modes.

In May, the state government had announced that terminal examinations for all varsities and institutions in Gujarat would be held from June 25. The government had to reverse this after many varsities called off the examinations due to protests from students. Earlier this month, the state government said it had decided to postpone all the exams till further directions from the Centre.

“We are ready to conduct the exams and are waiting for further directions from the state education department,” said Navin Sheth, vice-chancellor at Gujarat Technological University. The varsity, which had begun preparations to hold its theory exams from July 2, had to call them off at the eleventh hour.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March when the central government announced a countrywide classroom shutdown to contain the novel coronavirus.

According to the commission’ guidelines, intermediate semester students will be evaluated on internal assessments.

If a final-year student is unable to take an examination, the candidate may be given opportunity to appear in special examinations, which may be conducted by the university as and when feasible, the guidelines state.

The guidelines says that the students of terminal semesters or final year students having backlogs should compulsorily be evaluated by conducting examinations.

“Academic evaluation of students is a very important milestone in any education system. The performance in examinations gives confidence and satisfaction to the students and is a reflection of competence, performance and credibility that is necessary for global acceptability,” the UGC said.

“Performance in examinations gives confidence to the students and is a reflection of competence and credibility that are necessary for global acceptability”