PU students demand withdrawal of 50% credit rule, varsity assures action

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

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).

Students during the protest outside the V-C office in Panjab University, Chandigarh, on Monday (Keshav Singh/HT)

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.