Madhya Pradesh to conduct Final Year Exams in September, in accordance with UGC guidelines

The government of Maharashtra will hold the final-year examinations for university students in September, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The results of the examinations will be announced in October. The final-year examinations will be given in the open book examination (OBE) format.

Recently, the UGC issued guidelines stating that all college and university students in their final year must take their semester examinations by September.

Undergraduate students from the first and second years, along with postgraduate students will be given admission to the next year or semester on the basis of examination results in the previous year and internal assessment in the current year.

The OBEs will be evaluated on a certain basis. 50 percent weightage will be given to scores obtained in the previous year or semester, and 50 percent weightage to OBEs. Around 571,000 students will be affected by the decision.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has directed the UGC to respond to petitions concerning its directive to hold final-year examinations by 30 September.

Students have raised a number of questions, including the condition of students in Bihar and flood-hit Assam. Many states have already cancelled the final-year examinations of universities due to the pandemic.

Various states of the country have also expressed their disapproval of the UGC guidelines. For instance, a Punjab minister wrote to the MHRD urging it to revise the guidelines.

To this particular decision, states like Maharashtra and Rajasthan have also opposed the move.

The Supreme Court has said that both the UGC and the Centre must respond to the petitions. The matter has been adjourned until 31 July.