The University Grants Commission (UGC), the national higher education regulator, has released the guidelines today for the pending examinations and other academic activities along with the academic calendar for next academic session and admissions as the universities and colleges across India have been shut from March to arrest the spread of coronavirus. The UGC had appointed two expert committees to suggest guidelines to conduct examinations and also to formulate an academic calendar for the future in view of the time lost due to the closure of higher educational institutions in the country.
UGC Academic Calendar, Exam Guidelines: 10 Important Points
1. These UGC guidelines are advisory in nature and the universities may chart out its own plan of action taking into consideration the issues pertaining to COVID - 19 pandemic, and also by ensuring social distancing.
2. The exams for terminal semester students will be held in the month of July and intermediate semester students will be graded based on internal assessment of the present and previous semester. In states where the COVID-19 situation has normalized, there will be exams in the month of July.
3. College sessions will begin in August for current students and September for new ones.
4. A COVID-19 cell will be constituted in every university which will be empowered to solve the issues of students related to academic calendar and examinations.
5. Universities may adopt efficient and innovative modes of examinations by reducing the time from 3 hours to 2 hours and they may conduct the exams in offline or online mode, as per their ordinances or rules and regulations, scheme of examinations, observing the guidelines of "social distancing" and keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring fair opportunity to all students.
6. Period of lockdown may be treated as 'deemed to be attended' by all the students/ research scholars.
7. An extension of six months period has been allowed to the M.Phil. or Ph.D. students and the universities may conduct the Ph.D. and M. Phil. Viva -Voce examinations through video conferencing using Google, Skype, Microsoft Technologies or any other reliable and mutually convenient technology.
8. The universities may conduct the practical examinations and Viva-Voce Examinations through Skype or other meeting apps, and in case of intermediate semesters, the practical examinations may be conducted during the ensuing semesters.
9. University may adopt alternative modes of admission process, if otherwise legally tenable.
10. Educational institutions located at places where the Government (Centre/ State) have imposed restrictions on gathering of public, the institutions may plan accordingly.
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