UGC releases SOPs for universities to conduct final year exams
The UGC on Wednesday issued the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for universities and higher education institutions for conducting examinations in view of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Representational ImageNEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission on Wednesday has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for universities/ higher education institutions for conducting examinations in view of the COVID-19 outbreak. While reiterating that higher education institutions have to conduct the examinations for the final year students, the regulatory authority said that measures like sanitization of entire examination floors have to be ensured and admit/ identity cards should be treated as pass for movement.
The UGC on Monday asked the universities/ higher education institutions to conduct the exams for terminal semester/ final year students by September-end in offline (pen and paper)/ online/ blended mode following the prescribed guidelines related to COVID-19 pandemic.
The SOP issued by the regulatory authority has listed out 31 measures to be taken during the examination process starting from movement of students and staff to the at “the end of the day” protocols.
The UGC has asked the universities to abide by the guidelines issued by the Central and State governments while giving a free hand to frame “stricter provisions and guidelines, if they find it necessary.”
After every session, as per the SOPs, the entire examination floors are to be sprayed with disinfectant, candidates seating area including desk and chairs, door handles, staircase, railing and wheelchairs should be disinfected. Also fresh mask and gloves to be used by exam functionaries after the staff verification is done.
There is a separate set of protocols for the staff-verification where each functionary is needed to declare a self-declaration about health status, wearing of masks and gloves mandatory at all time and any functionary failing to meet the self-declaration criteria or thermos gun check will be asked to leave the centre immediately.
For areas under containment where public movements have been restricted, UGC said that admit/ identity cards issued to the students should be treated as pass for movement of students and also the government should issue instructions to local authorities to issue passes to invigilators and other staff engaged in the conduct of examination.
For seating arrangements, there will be a minimum of two metres distance between two students, and they have to sanitize their hands before and after signing the attendance sheets. Students with symptoms of fever, cough and cold will be made to sit in a separate room or given a chance to appear on another day.
The UGC said that in order to safeguard the larger interest of students related to their academic and career progression, “the institutions are required to chart-out a plan for conduct of examination…” and cited top ranking universities like Princeton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, University of Cambridge and University of Toronto, among others which have resorted to online technology based mode of examinations.
The UGC on Monday asked the universities/ higher education institutions to conduct the exams for terminal semester/ final year students by September-end in offline (pen and paper)/ online/ blended mode following the prescribed guidelines related to COVID-19 pandemic.
The SOP issued by the regulatory authority has listed out 31 measures to be taken during the examination process starting from movement of students and staff to the at “the end of the day” protocols.
The UGC has asked the universities to abide by the guidelines issued by the Central and State governments while giving a free hand to frame “stricter provisions and guidelines, if they find it necessary.”
After every session, as per the SOPs, the entire examination floors are to be sprayed with disinfectant, candidates seating area including desk and chairs, door handles, staircase, railing and wheelchairs should be disinfected. Also fresh mask and gloves to be used by exam functionaries after the staff verification is done.
There is a separate set of protocols for the staff-verification where each functionary is needed to declare a self-declaration about health status, wearing of masks and gloves mandatory at all time and any functionary failing to meet the self-declaration criteria or thermos gun check will be asked to leave the centre immediately.
For areas under containment where public movements have been restricted, UGC said that admit/ identity cards issued to the students should be treated as pass for movement of students and also the government should issue instructions to local authorities to issue passes to invigilators and other staff engaged in the conduct of examination.
For seating arrangements, there will be a minimum of two metres distance between two students, and they have to sanitize their hands before and after signing the attendance sheets. Students with symptoms of fever, cough and cold will be made to sit in a separate room or given a chance to appear on another day.
The UGC said that in order to safeguard the larger interest of students related to their academic and career progression, “the institutions are required to chart-out a plan for conduct of examination…” and cited top ranking universities like Princeton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, University of Cambridge and University of Toronto, among others which have resorted to online technology based mode of examinations.
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