University exams likely to be postponed, meet today

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad:  18.06.2020

University exams are likely to be postponed by the higher education department officials in view of rising Covid-19 cases in Telangana. The exams, which were scheduled to be held from June 20 in many colleges, are expected to be postponed during a review meeting that will be held on Thursday.

Following numerous representations and complaints from students, chief secretary (education) Chitra Ramachandran is all set to convene a review meeting to discuss university exams and future course of action. Subsequently, a higher level meeting is also expected to be held by the education minister later during the week. “We are keen on postponing the exams by a couple of weeks for final year undergraduate and postgraduate students. For other students, we can conduct exams even in August as they are not due to be awarded degrees,” said an official, indicating the government’s interest in conducting the exams.

Sources said that officials will review feasibility in conducting the exams at various colleges keeping in view social distancing norms, sanitation and hygiene at exam centers, and transportation among other factors. During the meeting, officials are expected to review arrangements and decisions taken by other states and come up with its own set of guidelines for university exams.

Meanwhile, students continue to seek promotion without exams in view of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases across the state. “When the SSC exams were called off due to Covid-19, why can’t university exams be called off? When Punjab and Maharashtra could promote degree students without any exams, why can’t Telangana do the same,” questioned Venkat Balmoori, state president, National Students Union of India (NSUI), that has filed a writ petition urging the high court to promote BTech and degree students without exams.

Officials are likely to review arrangements and decisions taken by other states and come up with its own set of guidelines for university exams

PM: Prepare for Unlock 2.0 & ways to minimise infection

Asks States To Ramp Up Health Infrastructure, Trained Manpower

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:18.06.2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked states to ramp up health infrastructure and trained manpower to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, while also preparing for Unlock 2.0 to boost economic revival.

During his second part of the two-day interaction with chief ministers and administrators of states and UTs through video-conferencing, the PM stressed on the importance of testing to quickly track and isolate those infected. The existing testing capacity needs to be utilized fully along with constant efforts for expansion, he said. Expansion of health infrastructure should be given utmost priority so that every person infected with Covid-19 can receive timely treatment and deaths are avoided, the PM added.

“We need to create a big team of senior doctors who can guide and inform the sick,” the PM said and suggested spreading timely and correct information through helplines run by young volunteers.

Observing that spread of the virus is greater in some big states and cities, he said the number of those recovering is rising because of timely tracing and treatment. He said the discipline shown by people during the lockdown has prevented any exponential growth of the virus.

“Difficulty in maintaining physical distancing and daily movement of people in huge numbers have made the situation challenging, yet through patience of citizens, readiness of administration and dedication of corona warriors, the spread has been kept under control,” he said.

Assuring availability of medical equipment and testing kits, Modi highlighted the increase in domestic manufacturing capabilities of PPEs, masks, diagnostic kits and ventilators.

The PM emphasized on the need to speed up economic activities with all precautions in place now that the country is in the phase of unlocking and asked states to dispel any rumours of lockdown. The country needs to now think about Unlocking 2.0, he said while interacting with CMs and representatives of 14 states/UTs. He noted that with reduction in restrictions, indicators of economic performance are showing signs of revival.

Prime Minister also observed that states where Aarogya Setu App has been downloaded in large numbers are witnessing positive results. “Efforts should be made to increase the reach of the App,” he said.

His virtual interaction on day two of his consultations with states witnessed participation of States and UTs including Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana and Odisha. Some of these states account for majority of cases.

On Tuesday, he had interacted with chief ministers, LGs and administrators of 21 states and UTs.

BID TO REVIVE ECONOMY: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with chief ministers of 15 states and Union Territories on Covid-19 situation via video-conferencing in New Delhi on Wednesday

SC asks CBSE to consider whether it could scrap remaining papers in view of Covid-19

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:18.06.2020

In view of the rising number of Covid-19 infections and to protect students from getting exposed to the virus, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked CBSE to consider whether it could scrap the remaining papers of Board examinations and grant marks on the basis of internal assessment.

A bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna asked CBSE to hold consultations and take a call on the issue after the Board informed the court that it was in the process of taking a decision on the issue. The court listed the next hearing for June 23.

The CBSE had earlier announced that the remaining papers of the Board exams would be held during July 1-15.

After the decision, a group of four parents approached the court. The petition, filed through advocate Rishi Malhotra, pleaded the court to direct CBSE to scrap the remaining papers and give marks to students on the basis of internal assessment. It said students and their parents would be exposed to the pandemic if they come out of homes for the examination to be conducted at over 15,000 centres across the country.

“CBSE’s notification for holding the remaining examination is discriminatory and arbitrary and that too in the month of July when as per AIIMS data, the Covid-19 pandemic would be at its peak.... As done by CBSE in its other 250 schools abroad and various state boards, the examination scheduled to be conducted in July should be cancelled and marks allotted on the basis of internal assessment,” the petition said.

“CBSE cancelled the examinations of Class X and XII for its 250 odd schools which are situated abroad and has adopted criteria in awarding marks on the basis of either practical exams conducted or internal assessment marks. It is highly regretful that the respondents herein have no genuine concern about putting the lives at peril of all students and have no explanation whatsoever in insisting upon holding the said examination in India,” it said.

Present methodology for alternative grading: HC to CISCE

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Wednesday told Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to present its methodology for alternative grading for classes X and XII students who opt not to physically appear for exams in pending papers.

The methodology has to be placed before court on June 22, the deadline set earlier by the board. Once approved, students can exercise their option till June 24, the court indicated.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice S S Shinde heard a PIL by advocate Arvind Tiwari, a parent of a class X student, against exams in July. On June 14, the board said students can take the exams or have results based on pre-board exams and results of board exams in subjects they had written. Advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, said the state was opposed in principle to exams being held, but it will take a call depending on number of students who opt to physically take it. Senior advocate Darius Khambata, for the board, said if the state does not allow exams it will bow to the decision. He said if the state was reopening schools in July, it must be confident of students’ safety. Khambata said many students want to appear for exams, and strict safety measures will be followed for handling papers which are in schools for three months. He said it was important to get a decision from parents.

Tiwari said it was not much of a choice when methodology for gradation was not known. Advocate Rahul Tanwani, for an intervenor parent, said consent to any choice had to be an informed consent. Advocate Karl Tamboly, for other intervenor parents, said preliminary exams suffer from vagaries as every school has its own degree of difficulty in setting prelims and marking them. Khambata said pre-board data for five years will be called for from schools and compared with board results to formulate methodology. TNN

CROSSING THE LINE

Fake e-passes keep officials on their toes

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai :  18.06.2020

As authorities across districts are engaged in the battle against Covid-19, they are now facing a problem of fake e-passes. An increasing number of people, desperate to reach other districts, are opting to use fake e-passes and even risking arrests.

On Wednesday, Kovilpatti west police arrested a school headmaster K Amulraj of Rajiv Nagar in the town for ferrying people between Tuticorin and Chennai using an epass obtained by producing a fake medical report. Using the e-pass, Amulraj took one person from Kovilpatti to Sriperumbudur and brought back two people from Ashok Nagar in Chennai on the return trip.

In Coimbatore, revenue department officials sealed a photocopying centre in Sulur that sold fake e-passes to those, who wanted to leave the district. South tahsildar J Meenakumari sealed the centre, functioning near the tahsildar office.

The incident came to light while verifying the e-pass of Tiruchendur native Manivannan at the Virudhunagar check post. Cops who scanned the QR code on the pass

found that the database did not match the details printed on the pass. “Inquiry revealed that, out of desperation, he had obtained a fake pass from a photocopying centre in Sulur,” said a revenue official. The tahsildar said employees at the photocopying centre had replaced the personal details on the copy of an approved e-pass.

In Salem, the city police registered cases against 17 persons after Salem municipal corporation (SMC) officials lodged complaint against them for entering the city without valid e-passes. Talking to TOI, SMC commissioner R Sadheesh said, people should have entered the city with valid e-pass or any other government passes if they were coming from other districts or states. “If they don’t have any such passes, it will be considered as illegal entry,” he said.

According to Sadheesh, many people had entered the city without valid reasons from other districts and states. The authorities have been monitoring people entering the city through all the four zones - Hasthampatty, Ammapet, Kondalampatty and Suramangalam. Those entering illegally without e-passes are being taken to the quarantine centers in the respective zones.

PREGNANT WOMEN ALSO EXEMPTED

Staff aged 55 and above can get exemption from govt duty

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.06.2020

The state government on Wednesday issued an order announcing that government employees who are aged 55 years and above with comorbidities, upon production of medical certificate, can be exempted from attending duty. The period of exemption will be treated as ‘on duty’.

In an order, chief secretary K Shanmugam said pregnant women staff and differently-abled were also exempted from attending duty and period of exemption be treated as ‘on duty’. “The guidelines shall be applicable to employees of commissions, boards, corporations, universities, companies, institutions, societies of the state government,” the order said. This will be applicable for the entire period of lockdown till the government announces the end of lockdown under the disaster management act. The chief secretary also said the absence of government employees during the lockdown from March 25 and May 17 be treated as ‘on duty’, since no transport facility was available.

TN govt also moves HC over Neet quota

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:18.06.2020

A day after the Madras high court directed the Union government to respond to pleas moved by the DMK, AIADMK and others challenging its decision not to provide 50% OBC reservation in All India Quota (AIQ) for admission to medical courses, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday moved a similar plea.

Admitting the plea, a division bench of Justice R Subbiah and Justice Krishnan Ramaswamy tagged the plea with the other pending petitions and adjourned the hearing to June 22.

In his petition, health secretary J Radhakrishnan said Tamil Nadu, at present, provides 50% reservation for OBCs in admission to medical courses and so the Centre is mandated to provide the same percentage of reservation of seats surrendered to All India Quota, he said, adding that the Union government had failed to comply with the mandate.

Many schools struggle to retrieve answer sheets of Class X students

Many schools struggle to retrieve answer sheets of Class X students

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com

Chennai:18.06.2020

Schools are now hunting for answer sheets for quarterly and half-yearly exams of Class X students after the directorate of government examinations (DGE) direction to submit records including evaluated answer scripts.

To prevent malpractice and inflation of marks by schools, the DGE on Tuesday asked headmasters to submit records including progress report, mark registers and answer sheets for half-yearly and quarterly exams. With boards being canceled, marks from these exams will carry 80% weightage while attendance makes up the rest 20%.

But, since board exams are conducted by the government, most schools have distributed the scripts to students. “We have been calling students and parents all morning. One third of them have said they have disposed of answer scripts,” said N Vijayan, senior principal of Zion Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

“Our school has very few answer scripts. After the exams, we evaluated the answer scripts and distributed them to students telling them where they need to improve. We are not sure how many have preserved them,” said V Shanthi, headmistress of Vidyodaya Girls Higher Secondary School in T Nagar. Now as the intense lockdown draws near, the school is busy preparing the records asked by the directorate of government examinations.

Many private schools, however, have submitted their quarterly and halfyearly marks to the district educational offices.

Government schools said they too usually distribute answer sheets after the exam. “Some students keep their answer scripts. But, we have other records like progress reports and mark registers. Government schools have already uploaded the marks on EMIS (Educational Management Information System) portal. So, there is no issue,” a headmaster from government school said.

“This is the only foolproof method they can adopt. Since most schools distributed answer scripts to the students, they can give their explanation as to what they have done with the answer scripts,” said G J Manohar, headmaster of MCC Higher Secondary School, Chetpet.

Some headmasters demanded grades for Class X students since there is no exam this year. “They should give grades to students as many students would have performed below par in quarterly and half-yearly exams,” a headmaster said.

In view of the 12-day lockdown, the DGE has relaxed the submission deadline for schools in Chennai and its neighbouring districts. “Answer scripts are among the records schools need to submit. If they don’t have answer scripts, they can submit other documents like progress reports and marks registers,” officials said.

After the exams, we evaluated the answer scripts and distributed them to students telling them where they need to improve. We are not sure how many have preserved them

V Shanthi | HEADMISTRESS, VIDYODAYA GIRLS HIGHER

SECONDARY SCHOOL