Meghalaya government has decided to write to the University Grants Commission (UGC) requesting it to postpone the final year exams for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students to October.
The state education department during the review meeting on Wednesday decided to propose to the UGC the dates for conducting the exams between October 7 and 16, and the results to be declared within October 31.
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“We have decided to write to the UGC to postpone the exams beyond September 30, and we have proposed the exam dates on October 7, 9, 12, 14 and 16,” Meghalaya education minister Lahkmen Rymbui said after the review meeting.
Rymbui said a meeting with the authority of the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), which is the only central university in the state, was held twice discussing the matter related to holding of final year exams in view of the UGC guidelines, 2020.
It has been mandated that the university examinations must be conducted for the final year students by September 30.
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Rymbui informed that the Supreme Court in its recent ruling said the universities and other institutions of higher education will have to conduct the final-year exams and cannot promote students on the basis of internal assessment or other criteria.
Keeping in view of the Supreme Court ruling, the state government has decided to approach the UGC seeking an extension of the September 30 deadline, he said.
“We have taken this decision as there is anxiety among the students wanting to know if the government can step in to request the UGC for a delay or postpone the final exams beyond September 30,” Rymbui said.
“By postponing the exams at least by a month, the students will be mentally prepared and it will also help them prepare their exams,” the education minister said.
The Supreme Court stated that if states or Union territories seek to postpone the exam, the request shall be considered by the UGC and rescheduled dates be communicated to such states/Union territories at the earliest.
Rymbui said the state government would write to the UGC on Thursday so that the exams can be held according to the proposed dates.
He informed that for undergraduate students, the exams would be conducted both online and offline (examination centres) while online option for postgraduate students.
“Students from Garo Hills can also appear the exams from their respective districts and need not come to Shillong to write their exams,” the minister said.
Rymbui also informed that students stationed outside Meghalaya can appear exams online.
There are 2,000 postgraduate students including 700 of them from outside Meghalaya, and a total of 22,000 undergraduate students which include 3,000 from outside Meghalaya and 19,000 from within the state.