V-Cs write to guv for clarity as state and UGC differ on exams

V-Cs write to guv for clarity as state and UGC differ on exams

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  12.07.2020

On the question of whether to hold the final semester exams in the state or not, vice-chancellors of all state universities have dispatched a note to the chancellor seeking his advice on moving forward on the sticky issue.

After several twists and turns, vice-chancellors decided to step up and write to the governor about the timeline of the events around the exam issue, the abrupt stalling of the academic year, the pending exams, the mandate they received from the state government from time to time and the guidelines from the UGC.

“We realised that he [governor] was not being involved in this entire process,” a stakeholder, who requested anonymity, said. “After all, he is the chancellor, the supreme boss for us, and it is important that we keep him in the loop and follow what he asks us to do. While the state is asking us not to hold exams, the fresh UGC guidelines and the letter from home affairs make it mandatory to hold exams. We are confused and we want to seek his guidance.”

There is also the possibility of people approaching the courts for justice.

“The ATKT formula is irrational,” another stakeholder, also requesting anonymity, said. “It may push someone with backlogs ahead of a candidate who has cleared all subjects on merit. Moreover, professional apex bodies have stated that they will not award practising licence to students who are not assessed before they graduate. The state has not given universities anything in writing. To move forward with the decision of not holding exams and graduating everyone with ATKT, an ordinance will have to be passed and will have to be signed by the governor.”

The vice-chancellors seemed unhappy with the manner in which higher education minister Uday Samant has been “mandating” them to draw up various formulae to clear final year students, as also graduate those with backlogs. “After forcing V-Cs and directors into all this, he held a press briefing and made it all look like it was all our unanimous decision to not hold exams and to clear candidates who have backlogs,” a stakeholder said.

In the minutes of the statelevel meeting of vice-chancellors and directors, university bosses mentioned that all the points were prior to any fresh guidelines from the UGC. “We all knew that the UGC was slated to release fresh directions,” a vice-chancellor said.

On Thursday, Samant held a press conference and reiterated that exams could not be held till September. He claimed that the university heads had drawn a formula to clear almost 3.9 lakh final year students who had backlogs.

In that scenario, the class of 2020 may find it tough to find jobs, said experts. Some regulatory professional bodies may not allow such graduates to practice, as has been informed to the state. Academic honchos were shocked at the minister’s revelations in which he announced that all decisions were unanimously taken by vicechancellors and directors and not by the state.