The University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher education regulator, said on Friday that the guidelines on university examinations and academic calendar will be issued shortly. The exams and the academic activities in universities and colleges across India is delayed or postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak which claimed more than 500 lives so far. The Commission has said in a circular sent to the heads of universities and colleges that it has already constituted an expert committee to deliberate on the issues related to examination and academic calendar and the committee is expected to submit its report shortly.
The Commission's clarifications have come after various stakeholders expressed their concern about the pending university examinations across the country and the possible delay it is going to cause to the next academic calendar.
"It is observed that in the present situation, our stakeholders have expressed their concern about the examinations and possible delay in next academic calendar. Taking note of the genuine concerns of the students, teachers, parents and institutions, UGC has already constituted an Expert Committee to deliberate on the issues related to examination and academic calendar and submit its recommendations. The committee is expected to submit its report shortly," it said.
The UGC, the Commission added that, after due consultation with the Ministry of Human Resource Development or MHRD, will issue appropriate guidelines based on which the universities or colleges may chalk out their plan of action to address the above issues and other related exigencies.
"Regarding the conduct of semester examinations, it is clarified that UGC has constituted a committee for recommending the modalities of conduct of examinations, award of marks and passing criteria in examinations. Directions in this regard will be issued separately," the MHRD has said last week in a statement.
Meanwhile, as Kerala is heading to implement relaxations from April 20, the State Higher Education department announced on Saturday that it will be conduct the university examinations in the state from May 11.
Even as universities mull over online semester examinations, a petition is doing rounds which calls online examinations discriminatory in nature. The petition, which was started by 'Collective', an independent student organization base out of Delhi, has found 154 supporters so far out of the 200 it seeks to get.
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