As the number of coronavirus cases in India rises rapidly, examinations for final year students in universities are likely to be cancelled in India, according to government officials. The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday asked the expert committee for examinations and academic calendar to conduct a review and submit a report after revising its guidelines.
UGC Exam Guidelines is likely to be revised to include options such as internal assessment and previous semester results to evaluate the students this year.
The new session is likely to start in October, according to government sources.
The development comes after the HRD ministry asked the UGC to revise its guidelines keeping in mind the extraordinary circumstances owing to the pandemic. “I have advised the @ugc_india 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,” HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” tweeted.
Universities and schools across the country started closing down since March 16 when the Centre announced classrooms to be shut down in order to contain the spread of the virus. Susequently, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, and ever since schools and colleges remain closed in the country.
Many states have already scrapped their respective board exams in view of the ongoing crisis.
In April, UGC constituted two committees to take crucial decisions on issues related to academic loss due to lockdown, and necessary measures to begin academic session after the lockdown.
Meanwhile, the decision to scrap the remaining exams of CBSE board's Class XII, scheduled between July 1-15, in the view of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country is likely to be taken on Wednesday, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the government are aware of the anxiety of students and authorities will take a decision on the issue soon, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar which also comprised Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna.
The bench adjourned the matter for June 25.
A plea has been filed in the top court by some parents of the students, seeking a direction to the CBSE to declare the results on the basis of exam already conducted and internal assessment marks of remaining subjects.