Punjab CM Urges PM Modi to Evaluate UGC Directive to hold Exams by September

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Amarinder Singh, has written to Prime Minister Modi urging him to review the directive from the University Grants Commission (UGC) asking colleges and universities to hold final-year examinations by the end of September.

In his letter, Singh said, “UGC may be asked to reiterate its earlier issued guidelines of 29th April 2020, wherein it had been clearly mentioned that the guidelines were advisory in nature and each state/ university would chart out its own plan of action taking into consideration the issues pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Recently, the UGC had said that all colleges and universities must hold the examinations for final-year students by the end of September. The move was opposed by Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

The Chief Minister of Punjab also sought permission to let the government of Punjab stick to the decision it had made on 3 July to cancel university and college examinations. 

The state government had made the decision to cancel all pending undergraduate and postgraduate final-term examinations and promote students on the basis of past performance, keeping in mind the safety of the students.

The Chief Minister also said that once the pandemic subsides, students who wish to improve their grades may take examinations. “This would ensure academic credibility, career opportunities, future prospects and fair and equal opportunity for students in both urban and rural areas,” he said.

The state higher education minister had written to the Union HRD Minister on 10 July regarding this matter, the Chief Minister said in his letter. He said that in view of the rising number of coronavirus cases, especially when the fight against the pandemic is at such a crucial stage, he was unsure if the situation would be conducive to giving offline examinations by September.

The Chief Minister pointed out that a large number of colleges and universities as well as hostels have been commandeered for coronavirus management purposes. Moreover, as a large number of students reside in rural areas without assured access to computers and the Internet, it would not be possible to hold online examinations in the state, he said.