The nation-wide lockdown has been extended to 30th June in a few states of India, including Maharashtra. Since coronavirus cases are continuously multiplying every day the state is left with no choice but to cancel the exams of final-year students studying in various colleges and universities.
On 31th May, Maharashtra’s chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray, announced the decision to promote all the students, who are currently in their final year, based on their performance and marks scored in the previous semester of their academic year.
The decision has been taken because it can be too risky for the students to come together to give the exams in the pandemic, and for examination authorities to conduct the exams. Thackeray tweeted that they had hosted a meeting with vice-chancellors the day before to discuss the state of final year college students.
It was an unanimous decision to cancel these exams, he added. The present circumstances do not provide a safe environment for students to appear for the exams, irrespective of implementing stringent preventive measures. It would not have been possible.
However, the decision still needs to be clarified by the State’s education department and the education minister needs to proclaim his opinion on the same. Thackeray also announced that, although the result will be declared based on aggregate marks scored in the previous semester, the criteria to reappear for these exams will exist.
So, the students who feel that they can score better can reappear for the exams, which will be conducted in October-November 2020.
In fact, the decision came after a video-conferencing session held by Uddhav Thackeray on 30th May with the state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Vice-President of all state universities, Education Minister, and other prominent ministers. The agenda of the meeting was to find the solution for the pending examination of final year students keeping their future in mind.
In the first week of May, Uday Samant, state minister for Higher and Technical Education, announced that the first and second-year students would be promoted based on their performance in the previous semester, and exams will be held for final year students in June.
But now, as the lockdown has been extended till June, the government has to re-think its decision. So, Samant declared that the state’s decision is final, and the same will be clarified to universities’ heads and students with all the relevant details.
Aaditya Thackeray, state cabinet minister, also supported the CM’s decision and tweeted expressing that this is an excellent decision to take. It takes the pressure off the students’ minds.
He expressed his gratitude to the state education minister and vice-chancellors of universities for actively participating and advising them to take this call. He said that it perfectly strikes a balance between safeguarding the students from harm and “academic excellence.”
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Source: Hindustan Times