A day after the Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been advised to revisit guidelines for intermediate and Terminal Semester examinations, the UGC panel recommended scrapping the final year exams for all its colleges and universities. 

A formal announcement about the decision will be made in a few days. The decision was taken after a large number of education institutions expressed their inability to conduct final year exams due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. The Commission had earlier recommended to cancel the intermediate exams but now the universities too have been asked to cancel the final year and semester examinations.

The revised guidelines advise universities and colleges to grade students based on performance in previous years or semesters and internal assessments. The HRD minister tweeted: “I have advised the UGC to revisit the guidelines issued earlier for intermediate and Terminal Semester examinations and academic calendar. The foundation for revisited guidelines shall be health and safety students, teachers and staff.”

Meanhwhile, four states – Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, have already scrapped the university and college exams in their states.

Earlier, the UGC issued guidelines for universities about the conduct of examinations during the outbreak of coronavirus. The universities have been advised to ensure safety and interests of all stakeholders while they plan their academic activities, giving health the utmost priority. They have also been requested to have a cell to handle queries and grievances of students related to examinations and other academic activities during the pandemic.

Source: The News Minute