NU to assess if situation normal to conduct exams

Nagpur: With Maharashtra government on Friday ending impasse over final year/semester university examinations, the Nagpur University would be reviewing whether the situation is normal for holding exams amid surge in Covid-19 cases in Nagpur, Gondia, Bhandara and Wardha districts.
“We need to conduct the exams even if fewer students are appearing. The government has given them an option to either accept average marks or appear in exams to be conducted by the university as per its own convenience. We will take final decision in this regard in Board of Examinations and Evaluation (BoEE) meeting,” exam director Prafulla Sable told TOI.
“Students who hadn’t performed well in past semesters would be keen to improve their performance while those who had decent scores may skip the exam. Only solace for the universities would be reduced number of students which would help them to maintain Covid distancing norms,” he said.
Earlier, higher and technical education minister Uday Samant told TOI that a government resolution (GR) was issued, giving students options whether to appear in exam or not. Chancellor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s PRO told TOI that he would issue a statement in this regard after reading the GR. Chancellor would take final decision being the top authority in university matters.
NU management council member Vishnu Changde, who has been opposing the government decision since long, stated that exams couldn’t be cancelled merely citing the Disaster Management Act. “The decision is nothing more than a shocker. How can the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, be superseded? We will look for an option to move the court against the government's decision,” he told TOI, adding that the government has encroached on autonomy of universities.
Even organizations like ABVP, which had accused the government of playing with future of students by cancelling the exams, flayed decision of making it optional.