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