Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' will interact with Vice-Chancellors on 'Higher Education post COVID-19 era' tomorrow. The interaction will happen on May 11 and 4 pm and will be accessible through the minister's official Facebook page. The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is organizing the interaction with VCs.
Apart from this, after addressing concerns of Parents and students through webinar, the HRD Minister will hold a webinar meant for teachers on May 14 at 12 pm and the event will be accessible through HRD Minister's social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
The minister's webinar is happening after the national higher education regulator University Grants Commission or UGC released recently a revised academic calendar as well as guidelines for examinations for the future functioning of universities and colleges across India.
Universities may conduct semester exams in July either online or offline depending upon feasibility and the COVID-19 situation and reduce the exam duration from three hours to two hours, the Commission recommended on April 30.
Detailing the guidelines for examinations and academic calendar for universities in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the commission said the exams for final semester students be conducted in July.
It has recommended that intermediate semester students may either be evaluated on the basis of internal assessment or in states where the COVID-19 situation has normalised, exams be conducted in July only.
"Universities may adopt alternative and simplified modes and methods of examinations to complete the process in shorter period of time. They may reducing the time from 3 hours to 2 hours," the UGC said.
"They may conduct examinations in offline or online mode, as per their ordinances or rules and regulations, scheme of examinations, and must observe the guidelines of social distancing besides keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring fair opportunity to all students," it added.
The UGC has also notified in the guidelines that new academic session for freshers may begin in universities from September and for already enrolled students in August. The admission process will begin in universities from August 1.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said on Saturday that all the state universities will implement the academic calendar in their respective institutions within a month after the lockdown is lifted.
Mr Chatterjee, who earlier in the day held a video conference with vice-chancellors of all the state universities, told reporters at an online press conference that the VCs have decided on how to conduct the classes and the final semester examinations.
(With PTI Inputs)
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