Holding final-year exams will delay new academic year: Colleges

A day after the Maharashtra education department decided that final-year exams for non-professional courses across 14 state universities will be made optional, colleges

A day after the Maharashtra education department decided that final-year exams for non-professional courses across 14 state universities will be made optional, colleges and universities are looking at a Herculean task ahead.

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As per the government’s directive, each of the 7.3 lakh final-year students, studying across state universities, will have to submit a written undertaking to their respective universities and state whether they wish to write the exam.

University of Mumbai (MU), with 2.8 lakh final-year students alone, will depend on its affiliated colleges to collect the written undertakings and submit them to the university.

“The government resolution (GR) is applicable to everyone, and students will soon be informed of the deadline for submitting written undertakings. As of now, we are focusing on putting together a system to ensure exams are conducted for interested students,” said Vinod Patil, controller of examinations, MU.

Colleges affiliated to MU feel that most students will opt out of the examinations, since they have been provided the option of appearing for a re-examination in the next academic year, to better their score.

“Holding examinations so late in the year will be very unproductive. We hope the admissions process begins soon so that we can start work on the next academic year,” said the principal of a college in south Mumbai.

The government resolution released on Friday had also highlighted that holding examinations will involve several tasks, including setting of question papers, arrangement of answer booklets, assessment of papers, as well as announcement of results.

The resolution pointed out that if a single person involved in this process tests positive for Covid-19, there will be a possibility of the virus spreading to a large number of people.

It further stated that the entire process will take time, eating into the schedule of the next academic year.

Through a Facebook Live session on Friday evening, state minister for higher and technical education Uday Samant announced that while a decision on final-year exams of professional courses will be taken based on the decision of individual exam councils, the state government will hold exams for only those students from non-professional courses who are ready to give a written undertaking about the same.

“Exams will be held in the near future, keeping social distancing norms in mind,” said Samant.