The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) will meet state education secretaries this week to sort out the differences over refusing to accept University Grants Commission’s (UGC) decision to hold the mandatory final year university exams in September.

According to an official, “Few states are not following protocol and announcing cancellation of exams at colleges and universities. What they are ignoring is that a degree without UGC approval does not mean anything. It’s there in the UGC Act, and it’s binding. They are putting students’ future at risk and creating confusion.”

He also added, “The HRD ministry will meet state education secretaries, and possibly the health authorities this week, and find out their problems. When we sought feedback from states and experts on exams before the UGC issued the guidelines recently, some 70% said exams will be beneficial and should be conducted.”

The official further questioned, “The UGC guidelines are not asking colleges and universities to hold exams now. It has given them time till September-end. It is also not mandating classroom exams, and has advised to adopt from all options—classroom exams wherever possible, online exams and a mix of online and offline. Where is the motive in putting students’ life at risk?”

Delhi and West Bengal have openly said they will not be conducting final exams due to the Covid-19 crisis and will promote students on the basis of internal assessment or past performances while Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have told the MHRD about their reservations on mandatory exam rules, another official said.

Source: Live Mint

Also read: UGC to ask all states to adopt revised guidelines for final year exams