
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said the state would not conduct college or university exams in September amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her statement came hours after the Supreme Court upheld the University Grants Commission’s guidelines on holding final-year exams. It told states that cannot meet the September 30 deadline to approach the UGC for new dates.
“I respect the court. But there is no question of holding examinations in September,” Banerjee said, adding that her government would weigh the pros and cons of holding the exams before Durga Puja in October.
“I have told our education minister to look into the possibility of conducting the final-year exams in universities and colleges before Durga Puja in October. The options of both online and offline exams should be looked into. We are not against any exam, we are just saying that a pandemic is on, and it could put lives of students at risk,” the Chief Minister said in her address during a virtual rally of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad.