Degree exams cancelled? Confusion prevails
Mangaluru, July 17, 2021: With the University Grants Commission (UGC) issuing new guidelines, and stating no examination for the intermediate semester/year students all eyes are on the state government on its implementation.
UGC had constituted an Expert Committee to revisit the guidelines which had issued last year on Examinations and Academic Calendar, keeping in view the prevailing situation due to the COVID- l9 pandemic, the Supreme Court order regarding cancellation of School Board examinations for class/grade-XII and the earlier order of the Court upholding the UGC’s guidelines of July 6, 2020.
The new guidelines speaks about conducting examination and academic calendar.
On examination, the guideline states the Terminal Semester/ Final Year Examinations (2020-2021) be compulsorily conducted in offline (pen & paper)/ online/ blended (online +offline) mode by no later than August 31, 2021, following the prescribed protocols/ guidelines related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For intermediate semester/year students, the assessment shall be based on internal evaluation and previous semester as suggested in 2020 guidelines,” it adds.
This has however left the teachers confused on if the examination would be cancelled for only 1st, 3rd and 5th or even for the 2nd, 4th semester too.
“We heard that the examination is cancelled. But there is no official communication from the University or the government. It is better if they solve the confusion soon,” a lecturer said.
“ln the case of Higher Education Institutions located at places where the appropriate government (Central/State) or competent authority has imposed restrictions on public gatherings, the Higher Education Institutions may plan accordingly. In any case, these recommendations shall not cause any restrictions on the guidelines/directions issued by the appropriate government/ competent authority,” the letter by UGC to the VCs states.
University sources said that the Higher Education Minister of Karnataka is likely to have a meeting today to give clarity on State’s stand.
