PU to request UGC to review decision on holding exams
Committee set up at syndicate meeting to chalk out a course of action to hold the examinations in the next academic session
Panjab University (PU) has decided to request the University Grants Commission (UGC) to review the final semester examinations this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was unanimously resolved at PU’s syndicate meeting on Monday after members debated for hours before resolving that conducting examinations in the current situation would not be safe for students as well as staffers.
“We have decided to request the UGC to review their decision to conduct examinations. There will be no sanctity of conducting exams during this situation,” said syndicate member Rabindernath Sharma.
The Union ministry of human resource and development had said on July 6 that the final year examinations in the universities will be held in September.
Though exams were not on the agenda, members discussed the issue at length given the students’ concerns.
The syndicate also constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Professor Navdeep Goyal to figure out when the exams could be held in the next session.
The committee, which has been directed to submit its report within a week or two, includes syndicate members HS Dua, DPS Randhawa and Anu Chatrath. They will draft a proposal on the feasibility of holding the exams and a likely time frame.
Before the meeting, students affiliated with Students for Society (SFS), All India Students Association (AISA), Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), Punjab Students Union (PSU- Lalkaar) and Youth For Swaraj held a protest outside the University’s administration hall against UGC’s decision to hold the examinations. They also urged the University to resolve the issue of the final semester examination at the earliest.
While taking a call on the admission guidelines for the affiliated colleges, the syndicate members decided to hold the Common Entrance Test for post graduate and BEd coursesentrance in affiliated colleges for the 2020-21 academic session.
The syndicate also approved holding admissions in both online and offline mode in affiliated colleges this year.
Professor SK Tomar’s tenure as dean students welfare (DSW) of Panjab University till May 2021 was approved on the occasion.
