The All India Students’ Association (AISA), along with engineering students, protested on Monday demanding the rollback of the 50% credit rule outside the vice-chancellor’s office in Panjab University (PU).
According to the 50% criterion, students are allowed to advance to their next semester if they have cleared 50% exams in the previous two semesters otherwise they will have to repeat the year. After rolling out the 50% criterion rule under National Education Policy 2020, some departments have given waive off from 50% criterion including law department, where students can sit in next year and reappear in failed exams subsequently. The 50% criteria was there last year as well with some departments waiving it off. Given high fees in engineering courses amounting to ₹1-2 lakh a year in University Institute of Engineering and Technology and Chandigarh College of Engineering and Technology, students are demanding a complete rollout of 50% criteria as repeating a year would cost students financially more.
Protesting outside the V-C office, students said not having 50% exams cleared in the previous two semesters would mean a repeat of the year with students filling the same amount of fee again. PU administration has assured students to take positive action on the matter by Tuesday 12 pm.