Final year exam: Punjab CM asks PM Modi to cancel examinations due to COVID-19

Punjab chief minister will write to PM Modi & Union home minister Amit Shah seeking cancellation of exams in universities & colleges in the interest and safety of the students, Punjab chief minister office said today. The Union home ministry on July 6 allowed the colleges and universities to conduct the end-of-term examinations as they are compulsory according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. Later, the union ministry of human resource and development today said the final year examinations in the universities will be held in September. The end-of-term semesters were postponed in the light of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. The terminal semester will be conducted by the universities by the end of September 2020 in offline (pen and paper) or online or blended (online + offline) mode, the UGC stated. Punjab chief minister said he will seek revocation of the July 6 MHA orders on compulsory conduct of final terms exams in the universities/colleges by September, and withdrawal of the UGC guidelines accordingly, Punjab chief minister's office said. The final year examinations were postponed due to coronavirus pandemic in the country. Conducting final year examination of graduation or post-graduation is very important while the safety and security of students is our prime concern, UGC secretary professor Rajnish Jain said. Earlier, the Punjab government had decided to cancel all the final year examinations to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Maharashtra government also announced to not conduct final year or semester exams of professional and non-professional courses in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Source: Livemint