Build broader consensus on exams issue, NU members tell Guv

Nagpur: Even as stalemate over final year/semester examinations continues in Maharashtra, Nagpur University statutory members wrote to chancellor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari requesting him to have a broader consensus on the issue with the statutory bodies of all state universities.
Opposing the “unilateral decision” by Uddhav Thackeray government to cancel the exams and award average marks to students, the NU members asked chancellor to conduct meetings of academic and management councils along with senate of all universities and know their views about the move.
Apprising the chancellor of confusion created due to CM’s declaration, they warned of severe repercussions on the students in future if exams were cancelled.
“If students are promoted without exams, what would be the value of such degrees. They, in fact, would suffer in future while applying for jobs as candidates from other states where exams are being conducted would also be in the race. Maharashtra students would be at a big disadvantage,” senior senate member Manmohan Bajpayee told TOI.
In his letter to Koshiyari, he questioned whether the apex bodies like UGC, AICTE, Council of Architecture, NCERT, Bar Council of India (BCI) and others would accept degrees of students conferred on them without testing their skills in the subject.
Echoing same sentiments, management council member Vishnu Changde in his letter to Koshiyari called for a broader discussions with the university authorities and even the students’ community before arriving at any decision.
“The government is granting an option of improving grades to some students through an exam. It will create two sets of students — those promoted on average marks and those who appeared in the exam. Imagine the disparity between students from the same class when they go for the jobs,” he told TOI.
Changde demanded the governor should defer the exams. “If grade improvement tests could be conducted in October-November, why not regular exams be held at the same time? I have requested the chancellor to decide as per UGC recommendations and leave it to the universities to decide future course of action, instead of applying same yardsticks to all regions,” he said.
Both members also warned government of facing legal difficulties if those in favour of exams approached the judiciary for it. “As per the provisions of ‘Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016’, degrees can’t be conferred without exams. Even UGC rules state the same. Therefore, it is not proper to dilute standards of our degrees by promoting students without exams,” they said.
Final decision on exams soon: Samant
Higher education minister Uday Samant told TOI on Friday they were yet to receive opinion from state Law and Judiciary department on the government’s proposal to cancel all final year/semester exams and award average marks to the students. “I was in my constituency Ratnagiri for a couple of days to oversee the damaged caused by the cyclone. We will declare the government’s stand as early as possible,” he said.