State government cancels exams for GTU, other varsities

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat Technological University (GTU), the state’s largest technical university, on Wednesday decided to call off its exams that were slated to be held from July 2. The final semester exams for all varsities and colleges in the state are also cancelled.
The decision came at the eleventh hour after the state government announced that the exams for all universities and colleges in the state have been cancelled.
Earlier in the day, state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama told mediapersons that there was no change in the government’s decision to hold exams for final semester undergraduate and second and fourth semester postgraduate students. Following this, GTU issued a press statement reiterating that its exams would be held as scheduled.
However, a few hours later, Chudasama told mediapersons that all exams in the state have been cancelled. He clarified that the change in decision came after a discussion with the Central government authorities.
The decision drew ire of parents and students who said it was too late. As many as 54,000 students had registered to take pen-and-paper exams that were to begin on Wednesday. GTU appointed observers and set up 350 exam centres at various locations in the state. Students from rural areas had made lodging arrangements close to their exam centres.
Many took to social media to question the change at the last minute. While the state government said that the decision was taken keeping in view the rising number of Covid-19 cases, some questioned as to what had changed between the morning and afternoon of Wednesday.
Most universities in Gujarat, except GTU, had announced their decision in May to defer exams after facing protests from students who wanted them cancelled. The GTU authorities had time and again reiterated that the exams would not be cancelled.
Apart from the July 2 exams, the varsity had given two more exam options to students including an in-person descriptive exam and a ‘special theory exam’ that was to be held once the Covid-19 crisis is over.
For now, all college exams in the state are cancelled till the new guidelines of the University Grants Commission are announced.