Final-year exams vital: UGC

New Delhi: The July 6 directive asking universities to hold final year and terminal semester exams by September-end is intended to protect the academic future of

New Delhi: The July 6 directive asking universities to hold final year and terminal semester exams by September-end is intended to protect the academic future of students that will be irreparably damaged if these tests are not held, the University Grants Commission (UGC) told the Supreme Court on Thursday. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the students’ health and safety and courts should not normally intervene in academic decisions and policies concerning standards and quality of education, the higher education regulator added.

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“All universities/institutions in the country are obliged to conduct terminal semester/final year examination by the end of September 2020. The UGC took the decision to protect the academic future of students across the country while also keeping in mind their health and safety,” UGC said in an affidavit.

The affidavit was filed in response to a batch of petitions challenging the July 6 directive. A Covid-19 positive student is among the petitioners who have sought cancellation of the examinations in view of the pandemic. The Shiv Sena’s youth wing, Yuva Sena, is also one of the petitioners.

The petitioners have sought directions for UGC to consider scrapping the tests and to declare results by July 31 based on past performance or internal assessment of students.

UGC on July 6 said universities and colleges will have to hold their final-year or final-semester examinations by September 30 after the Union home ministry approved the holding of these tests. It said the examinations can be held either online, or offline , or using a combination of both. For other students, UGC allowed universities and colleges to choose their own method to close the academic session. Students missing the exams in September will get another chance, and universities will conduct special exams “as and when feasible”, UGC said on July 6.

The UGC said its directive adequately takes into account the evolving situation of the pandemic as sufficient time is being provided to conduct the examinations after following the prescribed procedures and protocols related to Covid-19. “It gives sufficient flexibility to universities to conduct exams online offline or blended (online and offline) mode and provide for examination through special chance for students who are unable to appear for the examinations by September 2020. Concerns of the petitioners have been more than adequately addressed by UGC,” the affidavit said.

Prof Atul Khosla, Pro Vice Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh based Shoolini University, which has already competed the semester after holding online examinations, said it was important for the students to move on.

“For many Indian universities that have a continuous assessment system, performance in midterm examinations and assignments can be used to calculate grades in times like today. For others, if end semester exams are not feasible, assignments or project work can also be used as an alternative to calculate grades,” he said.

“Many new age universities like ours have used proctoring and AI based Technology for conducting online examinations”, he added.