The government said earlier this month that reviews could take place.
New Delhi:
End-of-semester exams at colleges and higher education institutions – on hold since March due to the lockdown to verify the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus – will not be canceled, the University Grants Commission said today or UGC to the Supreme Court, adding that the decision to hold exams before September 30 was taken to “protect the academic future of students.”
The UGC’s remarks in an affidavit came after the Supreme Court requested its response to a batch of petitions calling for the exam to be overturned. A special chance will be given to students who cannot sit for exams amid the pandemic, the main educational body told the court today.
“The decision to hold the exams was not arbitrary … it was taken after expert recommendations. The call by some states for the cancellation and granting of degrees will have an impact on the standards of higher education and this is not permitted according to the guidelines of the UGC. exams for final year students are required to test them on “specialist elective courses” studied by them during the final year “, he told the court.
The UGC is responsible for the coordination, determination and maintenance of higher education standards.
The Supreme Court will address the issue tomorrow and consider a series of petitions, including one filed by Mahashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray, who has urged the court to postpone or cancel reviews.
Earlier this month, the Union’s Home Office said end-of-term exams at colleges and educational institutions could take place.
As part of the “standard operating procedure” (SOP), educational establishments have been invited by the UGC to organize end-of-year or end-of-semester exams in pen-paper mode, online or in “mixed” mode.
The government’s decision has been criticized by several opposition leaders, including former Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal and Punjab had also expressed concern over the surge in coronavirus cases.
This morning, the number of covidus in India jumped to 15.83 lakh cases after more than 52,000 fresh infections were reported in the previous 24 hours.
