Maharashtra can’t conduct final-year exams, but awaiting UGC’s response: Education minister

Days after the University Grants Commission (UGC) said that all universities across India will have to conduct the end-of-term exams for final-year students by September,

Days after the University Grants Commission (UGC) said that all universities across India will have to conduct the end-of-term exams for final-year students by September, the Maharashtra state education department on Thursday, reiterating its stand, said that examinations will be not held owing to the Covid-19 outbreak.

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However, the state will wait for some few days to hear from UGC over its decision before making it binding on universities across the state. “We have made our stand on conducting the exams very clear to the UGC as well as the Union HRD [human resource and development] ministry. But if they still insist on conducting the exams, we have requested UGC to clarify on the steps over holding exams in such a situation,” said state minister of higher and technical education Uday Samant.

He added that the state, in a letter addressed to UGC, Samant asked if students, who currently reside in containment zones, will have to give exams, and if they do, will they have to remain in quarantine thereafter. The state also sought clarity on the paper-setting process, especially since the representative group for university teachers announced that by conducting exams, lives of students and teachers will be put in jeopardy.

In a virtual press conference, Samant said in a collective meeting on July 4, vice-chancellors (VCs) from all the 13 universities in the state reiterated that they are in no position to hold the final-year exams in online, offline or blended modes by September in accordance with the UGC decision. He added that the minutes of the meeting with the VCs were shared with the government on Thursday.

The VCs instead recommended that all final-year students be promoted on the same formula applied for the promotion of students of other years.

“The state has since April clarified that conducting exams for around 8 to 10 lakh students is impossible, especially since Maharashtra has and continues to be the epicentre of the Covid-19 outbreak. Our decision has been based on the recommendations made by the VCs of state universities, keeping in mind the health and safety of staff and students,” said Samant.

The VCs also suggested that students with backlogs (ATKTs) should also be promoted based on their performance in the previous semesters.

“The VCs also said that instead of asking students to give a written undertaking stating if they wish to appear for the exams later or altogether skip it, all the students should be given a chance to better their grades later this year, when it becomes possible to hold exams in a safe environment. For now, however, all the students should be promoted, the VCs recommended,” said Samant.