UGC gives window till Sept-end to universities to hold final year exams

UGC gives window till Sept-end to universities to hold final year exams

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: 07.07.2020

After a nod from the home ministry for higher education institutes to hold final year exams, the UGC on Monday decided to give them a window till September-end to conduct them while reiterating the earlier guidelines to assess the final semester (graduating) students through an examination conducted in either online, offline or blended mode.

The UGC said there will be no changes to the guidelines issued on April 29. The calendar has been tweaked and institutions have been given time till September-end to hold the final year exams, it said.

But the guidelines, issued on Monday said that in case a student of terminal semester/ final year is unable to appear in the examination for whatsoever reasons, he or she may be given an opportunity to appear in a special examination to be conducted as and when feasible.

“The final term examinations are to be compulsorily conducted as per the UGC guidelines on examinations and academic calendar for the universities; and as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) approved by the ministry of health & family welfare,” a home ministry statement said.

In view of the surge in Covid-19 infections, UGC’s panel of experts, headed by Haryana University vice-chancellor R C Kuhad, was on June 25 asked to review the final year examination guidelines issued on April 29.

HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal had said: “I have advised UGC to revisit the guidelines issued earlier... The foundation for revisited guidelines shall be health and safety (of) students, teachers and staff.”

In case a student of terminal semester/ final year is unable to appear in the examination for whatsoever reasons, he or she may be given an opportunity to appear in a special examination to be conducted as and when feasible