KU not to hold terminal exams

IN LINE WITH HARYANA POLICY

KU not to hold terminal exams

Jaskaran Singh TNN

Kurukshetra:  25.06.2020

In line with the Haryana government policy, the Kurukshetra University (KU) has decided not to hold terminal and intermediate examinations and issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday. The decision came following a meeting of KU working vice-chancellor Dr Nita Khanna with other university officials, including registrar Dr Bhagwan Singh Chaudhary, deans of all faculties, students’ welfare dean and both examination controllers, during the day.

KU director public relations Dr Brajesh Sawhney said, “Going by the Haryana government directions, it was decided that Ku will not conduct terminal examinations (final semester) and intermediate semester examinations for higher and technical education courses.”

Dr Brajesh said the officials concerned are working to develop a formula to promote the students of the final and intermediate semesters to the next level. “Different formulas would be developed in case of reappearing students. Online meetings are being held with all the stakeholders including students, parents, teachers and others.”

According to him, there would be some riders in the courses of law and pharmacy, as these are related to the Bar Council of India (BCI) and Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). “In the courses related to the UGC, there would be no problem, but for those related to different councils, the students would have to take examinations at a later stage,” he said.

As per KU sources, the decision will impact around 13,000 regular students and around 5,000 distance education students enrolled with the university.

Will strike off names of students if fee not paid: Panchkula schools

Will strike off names of students if fee not paid: Panchkula schools

Kamini.Mehta@timesgroup.com

Panchkula:  25.06.2020

Panchkula schools have started messaging parents to clear their dues or they will strike off the names of their wards. The schools are quoting Haryana government’s order which has given them liberty to strike off the names of students if their parents fail to pay the fees.

This has left parents, especially those facing financial problems, worried about the future of their children. In the fee reminder messages, schools are telling parents to pay dues for the months of April, May and July by the end of June and to pay monthly fee by 15th date of every month from July onwards.

“According to the directions of the state government, with effect from June 2020, the last date to deposit fee for every month is 15th. According to the notification dated June 9, 2020 of the Haryana government school education department, the name of your ward will be struck off the roles by the school if fee is not paid. So, you are again requested to clear the dues of your ward latest by June 27, 2020 to avoid any inconvenience,” read the message by one of the schools.

Mahavir Singh, additional chief commissioner, Government of Haryana, school education department, removed the point stating that “All private schools will not strike off the name of any student due to non-payment of fee nor will they deprive any student of online education.” This point was mentioned in the orders dated May 22 and April 23 by the government.

According to the sources from the department, the move has been taken after various private schools stated that many parents, who could pay the fees, were also not paying it due to the relaxations given by the government.

A school principal requesting anonymity shared, “There are many parents who have not been paying fees even though they can. Only 30% to 40% parents paid the fee for April and May, while only 15% paid the fee for June. Though, we are ready to accept requests from parents who are genuinely facing financial problems.”

Pvt varsities go ahead with exam schedule

Pvt varsities go ahead with exam schedule

Ramendra.Singh@timesgroup.com

Bhopal:  25.06.2020

Private universities in the state have gone ahead with their schedule for examinations, despite the state government’s decision to promote UG and PG students.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has only recently announced general promotion to the students of both UG and PG courses including final year students based on their past semester performance. On the contrary, MP private universities regulatory commission said that they are waiting for the guidelines from government to decide about the exams.

There are about 40,000 students pursuing different courses in private universities across the state.

Students said that private universities should also follow the government orders and facilitate general promotion for students.Head of the management department of a private university stated that chief minister’s order does not apply to them. “We are an autonomous university. Like NIT we have also done decided to conduct exam. We have sought the nod of the academic council. In fact, we are organising online exams,” said HOD G Lodhi.

On the other hand, private university commission have made it clear that they were waiting for the government guidelines. "We are waiting for the government orders and will act accordingly," said member of the commission Swaraj Puri.

‘UGC panel for cancellation of final year college exams’

‘UGC panel for cancellation of final year college exams’

Defer The New Academic Session To October: Panel

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  25.06.2020

In view of the countrywide surge in Covid-19 infections, exams of even final-year students in higher educational institutions, scheduled to be held in July, are likely to be cancelled and commencement of the new academic session deferred to October, government sources said on Wednesday.

The pending CBSE Board exams, which were scheduled to be held between July 1 and July 15, are also likely to be cancelled. The decision is expected on Thursday when the Supreme Court hears the issue, sources said, adding that engineering and medical entrance tests like JEE (Main) and NEET-UG are also to be postponed.

Reviewing the prevailing situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic on Wednesday, the UGC’s panel of experts, headed by Haryana University Vice-Chancellor RC Kuhad, recommended cancellation of the final-year examinations in universities.

“An expert panel has observed that the final examinations cannot be held in July as scheduled due to the risk of exposure to lakhs of students.The new guidelines are likely to be issued in a couple of days,” said a senior UGC official. The UGC will announce the guidelines after getting approval from the HRD ministry.

HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal tweeted, “I have advised UGC to revisit the guidelines issued earlier for intermediate and terminal semester examinations and academic calendar. The foundation for revisited guidelines shall be health and safety (of) students, teachers and staff.”

As per the new suggested guidelines, final-year students will now be evaluated based on the previous semester examinations and internal assessments, sources in MHRD said.

The April 29 guidelines for assessment of final-year students had suggested universities to conduct examinations in offline or online mode, while it was recommended that first and second-year students be promoted on the basis of internal evaluation and performance in the previous semester/year. However, it also recommended that in case a student was not satisfied, he/ she will be allowed an improvement opportunity when the situation normalises. The final-year exams were scheduled between July 1 and July  31.

“There have been representations from teachers and students raising concerns over conducting exams in the present situation and universities too have communicated their inability to conduct exams in the prevailing situation,” said an official of the ministry.

As per the earlier UGC guidelines, the universities were expected to reopen for second and third year students on August 1 and for the fresh batch from September 1. Now, the dates are likely to be deferred to October.

Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a countrywide classroom shutdown.

As per the suggested guidelines, final-year students will be evaluated based on the previous semester examinations and internal assessments

Karnataka to hold Class X Board exams

Bengalur: Amid the coronavirus scare in the state, the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board is set to hold the 10th standard exam from Thursday with precautionary measures in place. The exam was supposed to take place on March 27 but due to the lockdown it was postponed. While a few neighbouring states have given promotion to the 10th standard students due to the virus scare, the Karnataka government decided to hold the exam from June 25 to July 3. “We are taking all precautionary measures to ensure the safety and security of the children in association with the home department and the health department," Karnataka minister S Suresh Kumar said. PTI

NSUI leaders, medicos meet GU authorities

NSUI leaders, medicos meet GU authorities

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 25.06.2020

Members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and representatives of undergraduate medical students met Gujarat University authorities on Wednesday.

While the NSUI members pressed for their demand that the varsity calls off the exams for medical, dental and paramedical courses, the undergraduate medical students are opposed to this idea. They want the exams to be held as scheduled.

NSUI wants the varsity to defer the exams in line with GU’s deferral of exams for arts, commerce, science, and education colleges.

Gujarat University’ decision to defer college-level exams that were scheduled to be held in two phases from July 2 and July 13, did not include medical, dental and paramedical courses.

NSUI members are of the view that medical students are at equal risk as candidates of other faculties, hence their exams should also be deferred given the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

The medical students want college-level exams to be completed on time so they can take the entrance exams for superspeciality courses.

GTU students get three exam options

GTU students get three exam options

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad: 25.06.2020

The Gujarat Technological University (GTU) academic council has reiterated its stand on holding college level examinations from July 2, onwards despite demands from some student organizations to cancel the exams.

The council in a meeting with representatives of students and parents on Wednesday, decided to hold special examination for candidates who cannot take tests at exam centres due to Covid-19 crisis and who are not unwilling to take them online either.

“The option to decide on the exam format is entirely on the student. He or she can choose from the classroom format to begin next month, online or special exams that will be held once the Covid-19 situation improves,” said a GTU official.

Students who live in containment areas or who are not willing to take the written exams that are to begin from July 2 for the final semester of undergraduate courses as well as second and final semesters of postgraduate courses, can either go for online exams or the special exams, according to a press statement. The dates for the special examinations will be announced later. As many as one lakh students are expected to take the exams from July 2. “Those students wanting to pursue higher studies, apply for jobs or participate in campus placements, should consider taking the regular exams from July 2,” said a GTU official. For this, they will have to fill forms available on the students’ portal, he added.

The online exams will be held from July 21 as announced by the varsity earlier. All undergraduate and postgraduate students across semesters, who are to take remedial exams or have taken ‘special term extension’, will be extended the benefit of ‘meritbased progression’ that has been introduced by the state government this year due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Professor-teacher fired for drawing two salaries, moves HC

RESIGNS AS VIDYA SAHAYAK; VARSITY SACKS HIM FROM JOB

Professor-teacher fired for drawing two salaries, moves HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:  25.06.2020

A PhD in Chemistry, Chirag Patel moved the Gujarat high court after his university cancelled his designation of assistant professor because he was working at a primary school as a vidya sahayak and allegedly doing both jobs, professor and primary teacher, simultaneously.

Patel, the head of the chemistry department at Dr Indu Dayal Meshri College of Science and Technology in Patan, was facing the charge that while being designated an assistant professor with the Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, he took up the job of a primary teacher at Deodar town in Banaskantha. He was accused of drawing income from both sources. Now, he has neither of the jobs and moved the HC for restoration of his university designation and livelihood.

Patel was appointed to the Patan college in July 2013, and the university granted conditional approval of his designation as assistant professor for three years because he did not have a PhD. His designation was renewed for another three years in 2016. In January 2019, he obtained a doctorate and got the university designation unconditionally.

However, Patel also took the job of a primary teacher at a government school in Banaskantha in March 2017. It was only after a notice for absenteeism was published by the district education authority in September 2019, that he resigned the post. The college’s query about his second job was answered by Patel. But the university this March issued him a show-cause notice, asking why his position should not be cancelled for drawing two salaries from different sources simultaneously and duping the employers. The university on June 11 cancelled Patel’s designation, leading him to approach the HC through advocate Sudhanshu Jha.

In the HC, it was submitted that Patel opted for the government job because of job insecurity at the self-financed institute in Patan. He resigned immediately after the notice and deposited one month’s salary. The education department has not termed his job illegal or accused him of drawing money illegally from the government treasury. He held that the university authorities acted against him without giving him an opportunity to defend himself.

The HC refused to stay the university’s decision, but asked it to reply by June 29.