Cancel final year college exams also, Maharashtra government writes to UGC

Pune, May 19, 2020: Maharashtra education minister Uday Samant has written to the University Grants Commission (UGC) requesting to cancel the final year college exams also. Already, the government has issued an order to promote students of the first and second year.

UGC issued guidelines on 29th April, 2020 because of COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, meanwhile, the Government of Maharashtra appointed a State level committee to recommend State Government regarding the conduct of examination and the academic calendar based on UGC guidelines.

After considering the UGC guidelines and consulting various stakeholders, the state-level committee submitted its recommendations to the State Government on 6th May, 2020.

The State Government accepted the recommendations of the state-level committee and as per recommendations of the committee in view of COVID-19 pandemic and to maintain social distancing, safety and health of all students, State Government decided to promote students of diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate (excluding medical, agriculture and animal husbandry universities) to next year except students of final year. The grading of these students shall be done as per UGC and State Level Committee’s guidelines.

Considering the present situation of COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra State, as per recommendations of State level Committee conducting exams for final year students of UG and PG in the month of july 2020 seems difficult.

In view of COVID-19 pandemic situation in Maharashtra and considering the feasibility of conducting the exams of approximately 8 lakh to 10 lakhs students from all across Maharashtra and India by maintaining all safety protocols seems very challenging and may endanger the safety and health of the students. Hence I believe that the terminal (final) examinations should not be conducted this year.

Considering the pandemic situation in the state, challenges of conducting exams of approximately 8 lakh to 10 lakhs students by following all safety protocols and in view of student’s mental and physical wellbeing, I hereby request your good self to kindly consider the option of promoting students without conducting exams of last year for UG/PG and grade them as per UGC guidelines. Request to please kindly issue guidelines in this regard for the betterment of students