July 27 exam mandatory to clear Plus Two, says Minister

July 27 exam mandatory to clear Plus Two, says Minister

‘Exam centres to be allotted for 34,842 students’

10/07/2020

Class XII State Board students, who missed the last exam on March 24, must sit for it on July 27, School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan said on Thursday. The government would allot examination centres for all 34,842 students who were unable to write the exam.

Speaking to journalists at Kolapalur in Gobichettipalayam, he said that only 718 students expressed their willingness to write their exam on July 27.

“But this is not a Class 10 exam to declare ‘all pass’. Only those Plus Two students who write their exam can pass,” he said.

Mr. Sengottaiyan said no online classes would be conducted for government school students, but lessons would be telecast through television channels. The schedule would be known when the Chief Minister inaugurated the classes, he said.

University notification on duty criticised

University notification on duty criticised

10/07/2020

Virudhunagar MP B. Manickam Tagore on Thursday urged the Union Minister for Human Resources, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank,’ to make Anna University withdraw its notification instructing its staff and faculties to work as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a memorandum sent to the Minister, he said that Chennai has emerged as a hotspot with 70% of Tamil Nadu’s COVID-19 infection reporting from the State capital. The State government has accommodated a huge number of COVID-19 patients on Anna University premises.

Stating that several university staff had been infected with the virus, the MP said the State government has announced extension of lockdown till July 31 for all educational institutions. Under these circumstances, the Anna University had forced all staff and faculties to attend office as usual.

“It would be disastrous for their health and make them vulnerable to the infection,” he said.

He wanted the Union Minister’s intervention in the issue

Consider Class XII marks for medical admissions’

Consider Class XII marks for medical admissions’

CM has written to PM on this: Minister

10/07/2020

Tamil Nadu has urged the Central government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to not hold the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and consider the Class XII marks instead for admissions to medical courses this year, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar said on Thursday.

“Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has written to Mr. Modi regarding the issue on July 8. In his letter, he stated that it would be difficult for students, especially those from the rural areas, to take the test in the present circumstances,” the Minister said in a statement.

He recalled the efforts being taken by the AIADMK government against the conduct of NEET for admissions to medical courses.

Referring to reports of the Centre contemplating a revision of the criteria for the creamy layer among the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the Minister said, “Reservation should be based only on social and educational conditions. Reservation based on economic conditions would go against social justice.”

“People are aware that this government is a pioneer in protecting the ideals of social justice and the interests of the poor and the downtrodden. This government will continue to protect the welfare of the backward classes,” he said.

Mr. Vijayabaskar also referred to the petitions filed by the State government in the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court for 50% reservation for the OBCs in medical seats, which were surrendered by the State governments to the all-India quota, in non-Central government colleges.

Not our decision alone to pass students, say VCs

‘STANDING AT STAKE’

Not our decision alone to pass students, say VCs

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com  10.07.2020

The minister said the formula for backlogs was derived by a group of vice chancellors.

If the subject has an internal test, 50% of the score from it too would be added. And if a student still does not make the cut, grace marks would be given. In case of no backlog, the final semester’s internal marks will be added to the average of the previous semester scores.

However, experts said it may be tough for the 2020 batch to find jobs or acceptability in universities abroad without clearing exams—for one, regulatory bodies may not certify them, a point that’s been communicated to the government. Senior academics were taken aback by Samant’s claim that the decision was a unanimous one by vice-chancellors and directors of institutions who met on July 4, and not forced by the government.

Samant had outlined the state’s position earlier this week in a letter to Union minister for HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal, with a copy to Amit Shah. “Maharashtra is the worst affected state with more than two lakh cases confirmed cases so far,” it said as the reason for its inability to comply with UGC guidelines.

Samant showed recorded clips from a meeting held by VCs and other academicians to prove the point that they were aligned to the state’s position. However, one of them told TOI that the meeting was held before the UGC guidelines were out. “This is not right. We were asked if exams could be held in July. Also, we were given a strict mandate to draw up a formula to clear all ATKT students. Clippings shown during the press briefing make it look as if VCs took all decisions by themselves. We were forced into all this…”

About the ATKT formula, another said, “What if a student has remained absent? How many grace marks will you give? In fact, some students with backlogs may end up with a better score than the ones who have cleared all subjects without special state treatment.”

VCs feel the standing of their institutes is at stake now due to the impasse.

And when asked about professional regulating bodies like the Architecture Council and Bar Council that refuse to grant practising licences to those not examined in the final year, Samant said he had written to them and was awaiting their reply.

Working out policy for post-grad med exam, state tells HC

Working out policy for post-grad med exam, state tells HC

Rosy.Sequeira@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  10.07.2020

The state government told the Bombay high court on Thursday that it is formulating a policy to conduct final-year exams for post graduation in medicine — the MD and MS courses.

Assistant government pleader Jyoti Chavan sought time before a bench of Justices Shahrukh Kathawalla and V G Bisht, saying it involves preparation of schedule and taking every safety measure. “Ultimately, it concerns resident doctors and the examiners who are on Covid duty,” she said. Chavan added that meetings are being held on the issue and she would inform the court on July 14.

The court was hearing a petition by Dr Nishant Gobbur seeking directions to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences to declare the dates and conduct final-year exams for post-graduate medical students. The exams were postponed twice due to the coronovirus pandemic.

Gobbur, who hails from Akalkot in Solapur district, is pursuing an MS degree in general surgery at Seth G S Medical College, Parel. In the entrance test for DM/MCh courses conducted by Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, he stood second in all-India ranking in the general category for neurosurgery out of three coveted seats. On June 30, PGIMER issued him a provisional appointment/ admission letter and granted time to join latest by July 6. An eligibility criterion mandates that a candidate must have passed MD/MS or its equivalent qualification recognised by Medical Council of India.

Gobbur’s advocate, Vishwanath Patil, submitted that there is urgency in the matter as PGIMER has set a deadline for him to join the course.

The judges posted the matter for July14 and directed that, meanwhile, “all steps taken by respondents [MUHS and PGIMER, Chandigarh] shall be subject to orders passed by the court”.

Plan to ‘pass’ students has experts worried; not our decision, say VCs

Plan to ‘pass’ students has experts worried; not our decision, say VCs

Hemali.Chhapia@timesgroup.com

Mumbai:  10.07.2020

Maharashtra higher education minister Uday Samant has claimed that the formula evolved to clear backlogs of university students was put together by a group of vice chancellors. But a section of them told TOI that they had misgivings about it and expressed their resentment at being misrepresented by the government.

Under the proposed plan, an average of marks in all the subjects would be considered the final score in the failed subject. If the subject has an internal test, 50% from it too would be added. And if a student still does not make the cut, grace marks would be given. In case of no backlog, the final semester’s internal marks will be added to average of previous semester (first semester of 2019/20) scores.

However, experts said it may be tough for the 2020 batch to find jobs or acceptability in universities abroad without clearing exams — for one, regulatory bodies may not certify them, a point that’s been communicated to the government. Academics were taken aback by Samant’s claim that the decision was a unanimous one by vicechancellors and institutions heads who met on July 4.

Samant had outlined the state’s position earlier this week in a letter to Union minister for HRD Ramesh Pokhriyal, with a copy to Amit Shah. “Maharashtra is the worst affected state with more than two lakh cases confirmed cases so far,” it said as the reason for its inability to comply with UGC guidelines.

Samant showed recorded clips from a meeting held by VCs and other academicians to prove the point that they were aligned to the state’s position. However, one of them told TOI that the meeting was held before the UGC guidelines were out. “This is not right. We were asked if exams could be held in July. Also, we were given a strict mandate to draw up a formula to clear all ATKT students. Clippings shown during the press briefing make it look as if the VCs took all the decisions by themselves. We were forced into all this…” Former education minister Vinod Tawde said it was obvious that the government was using the vice-chancellors to further its own agenda.

About the ATKT plan, one vice-chancellor said, “There is a lot of irrationality to it. What if a student has remained absent? How many grace marks will you give? In fact, some students with backlogs may end up with a better score than those who have cleared all subjects without “special state treatment”. The state’s reluctance to conduct online exams has also raised questions. It has said it does not have the connectivity to do it across the state.

VCs feel the standing of their institutes is at stake due to the impasse. However, the Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers’ Union has asked the state not to budge. UGC guidelines are at variance with the grim reality in Maharashtra, it said. “We demand there should be no change in the decision,” said president Tapati Mukhopadhyay.

When asked about professional regulating bodies like the Architecture Council and Bar Council that refuse to grant practising licences to those not examined in the final year, Samant said he had written to them and was awaiting their reply.

TIMES VIEW: The state has balked at the UGC diktat on exams because of logistical issues involved in holding it for lakhs of students in the midst of a pandemic. But the decision to do away with exams entirely cannot be the answer. Careers and future academic prospects are at stake. Maharashtra’s strategy must be in line with what is acceptable to higher education centres and recruiters across India. An exemption on the grounds that it has more Covid-19 cases than other states will not wash with regulators which have to certify students. The best way will be to stagger the schedule and hold exams when possible.

HC slams DU for frequently changing stand on exams

HC slams DU for frequently changing stand on exams

Abhinav.Garg@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:  10.07.2020

Delhi high court on Thursday castigated Delhi University (DU) for yet again postponing final-year examination schedule, despite giving assurances.

“We all have gone through the examination process which is nerve-wracking for the students, especially during the times of Covid-19 pandemic….Why are you pushing the exams to a date beyond August 15, knowing that careers of thousands of students are at stake?” a bench of justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad said. The bench did not appreciate the conduct of the varsity saying it has been “turning turtle” — changing stands frequently — and noted that earlier DU claimed it is ready to conduct the open book examinations (OBE) on July 1, which it later revised to July  10.

Indicating that DU must work towards preponing the date from mid-August, the bench ordered it to file an affidavit detailing the schedule of the final-year undergraduate exams including how it proposes to conduct exams — online, off-line or both modes — besides the complete datesheet, so that students get some clarity.

The court reminded DU that examinations are nervewracking and careers of thousands of students are at stake, more so since the final year students have to be given passing out certificates and degrees to enable them to pursue higher education. It allowed DU to work out a new plan in terms of July 8 circular issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the manner in which the exams are to be conducted, listing the matter for July 14. The bench recalled that on June 26, DU informed the court it will go ahead with conducting exams from July 1, but the next day, postponed the exams to July 10.

The same bench had on June 29 issued notice to the varsity asking why contempt proceedings be not initiated against it and its officers for trying to mislead the court by withholding information on deferment of the online OBE from July 1 to July 10. In response DU had assured it that it is firm on holding exams from July 10. “We took you (DU) on face value and asked you to file an affidavit for clarity. Now we discover you have again changed the date to beyond August 15 and there is no exact date. What do you expect us to do. You want us to constantly monitor you on conducting exams?” the bench remarked.

FUTURE TENSE: The court reminded DU that examinations are nerve-wracking and careers of thousands of students are at stake