A University Grants Commission or UGC committee has recommended the Centre to cancel examinations for final year students in various universities and institutes of higher education across India.
The committee further recommended of evaluating the final year students based on the previous semester examinations and internal assessments.
The higher education regulator of UGC had formed the committee with the aim to suggest alternative ways of assessing university students in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
Headed by the VC of Haryana University, RC Kuhad, the committee said that the final semester examinations is due mostly in July, and in the wake of the prevailing situation lakhs of students cannot be risked to be exposed to the virus.
“The final semester examination is due in July. But we cannot risk the lives of lakhs of students by exposing them to a situation where they can get infected by COVID-19,” the committee said.
“Hence, it is advisable that the examination is cancelled and marks for the final examination be extrapolated based on the past performance of each student,” it added.
“Students who are not happy with the final marks being given to them based on previous examinations, will have the chance to improvise their scores by taking examinations later when the pandemic subsides,” the committee further suggested.
Based on these recommendations, the UGC is expected to release comprehensive guidelines for higher education institutes later this week.