Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) is likely to endorse the proposal of the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) for a split vacation instead of the present two-month summer vacation in April and May.
A Syndicate meet to be held on March 24 will discuss the proposal. “Such a vacation pattern was successfully implemented by the varsity earlier. We could then complete the valuation process successfully without declaring 10-day holiday for colleges to hold valuation camps. The split vacation in November and May is ideal for the proper conduct of semester programmes,” said K. Sherafudeen, Syndicate member.
The first governing body meeting of the newly-constituted KSHEC had mooted a standardised academic and examination calendar for universities. It had proposed the implementation of a split vacation in November and May in place of the April-May annual vacation.
The implementation of such a system in the past is said to have helped the varsity maximise the mandatory 90 teaching days in a semester, thereby facilitating the smooth conduct of examinations. It was also found effective in eliminating teacher absenteeism from examination and valuation duties. Accordingly, the council had decided to constitute a committee of Pro-Vice Chancellors to study the proposal.
The varsity had earlier included a provision in the Mahatma Gandhi University Ordinance - 2011 on academic year, semesters, vacations, and holidays, that there shall be a one-month semester break or vacation in each semester in November and May every year.
The decision to revise the vacation period was part of the implementation of regulations under the choice-based credit semester and grading scheme in affiliated colleges. Once the split vacation is in place, the academic year for colleges and departments under the university will begin on June 1 and end on May 31 the next year. The academic year will consist of two semesters of six-month duration each. The duration of odd number semesters will be from June to November every year. The ordinance said that the duration of even number semesters will be from December to May.
Each semester will have a minimum of 450 contact hours distributed over 90 working days, inclusive of examination days, within the 18 five-day academic weeks.
