Final-year exams: Aaditya Thackeray called decision ‘absurd’, urges UGC, HRD ministry to not make it ‘silly ego issue’

Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray has criticised the Centre’s decision to hold final-year exams amid the increasing number of Covid-19 cases across

Maharashtra cabinet minister Aaditya Thackeray has criticised the Centre’s decision to hold final-year exams amid the increasing number of Covid-19 cases across the country. Aaditya, who also heads the Shiv Sena’s youth wing, Yuva Sena, called the decision “absolutely absurd” and urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) not to make it a “silly ego issue”.

HT Image

Yuva Sena had opposed the decision earlier in the week and asked the Union minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal to reconsider. Aaditya’s attack on the Centre occurred the same day Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the move and said it would be “unfair to hold exams during a pandemic”.

In a series of tweets, Thackeray took on the Union government asked if the Centre realises that Covid-19 cases in the country are still on the rise. He said that the students would experience mental stress and face the highest risk of contracting the disease.

“The decision of the HRD Ministry of Union Govt, and the UGC is absolutely absurd and probably from an alternate universe. I urge UGC to not make this a silly issue of egos and realise that lakhs of lives of students, teachers, non teaching staff are at stake. Unless the HRD Ministry and UGC take responsibility for the health of each student appearing for exams, one wonders what is the guarantee apart from just that the ministry and UGC don’t realise the growing number of cases in India… It seems that while the entire country- Union Govt, State Govts, ULBs and Panchayats are trying to manage covid, reduce new cases and save lives, the HRD Ministry and UGC wants to just do the opposite,” Thackeray tweeted.

Maharashtra chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray has already decided to cancel final-year exams while giving students the option of voluntary exams for better grades. Students who choose not to answer the exams will be graded based on their performance in the previous academic year and internal assessment.

Earlier this week, Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai wrote to the HRD minister on the issue. “When exams were originally scheduled, Covid cases were far lesser, and it [the pandemic] had not reached all parts of our country. The cases have been steadily rising, and we cannot be sure they will decline by September,” Sardesai said in his letter. “Lakhs of final-year students have secured jobs through campus placements or enrolled in private Indian universities or foreign universities. Exams in September would mean they effectively lose all these opportunities,” he added.