HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal on Thursday suggested that colleges and varsities could promote students to the next semester or grade based on some criteria as suggested by the UGC but students of final year may be asked to take the exam.
In an interaction with academicians with universities and colleges, Nishank said the present situation should be treated as an opportunity to overcome limitations in the system.
He called upon the educationists, students, parents to switch-over to the online method and make the most of the situation so that the academic session of the students is not interrupted. He said there is an urgent need to improve and enhance the online ecosystem in India and educators should contribute to enhance the reach so that online education reaches even the rural areas.
In the hour long interaction and address, the Union Minister reflected on various issues and concerns raised by educationists of over 45,000 institutions related to academic calendar, online education, examinations, fees etc.
The minister also suggested that colleges and varsities could promote student based on some criteria as suggested by the UGC. Students of final year will have exam while those in other classes can be promoted, he suggested. The UGC has left the choice in this regard with individual institutions. HRD officials said the minister was referring to the UGC guidelines when he made the comments.
The higher education regulator also said examinations in colleges and universities can be held in May and June with July being the month of summer vacations. The next academic cycle can begin in August for second- and third-year students and in September for freshers, it said.
Generally, academic sessions end in colleges and universities in May-June and new sessions begin in July-August. Education institutes have been shut down across India since March 25, when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19.
In guidelines issued on Wednesday after long deliberations, UGC said if the previous semester’s result is not available, particularly in the first year, 100% evaluation of students may be done on the basis of internal assessments.
The internal evaluation process can be continuous, mid-semester or it can be any method that gauges a student’s progression, UGC said, adding that the guidelines are “advisory” in nature and an individual institute will have to chart its own course based on its circumstances.
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