UGC Guidelines 2020: MHA permits universities, institutions to hold exams

New Delhi, July 06: The final-term exams in colleges and educational institutions pending since March because of the lockdown to slow the coronavirus infection can now be held, as per UGC Guidelines the Union Home Ministry has said.

"The final Term Exams are to be compulsorily conducted as per UGC Guidelines and as per the Standard Operating Procedure approved by Union Ministry of Health," MHA said in a statement.

In a meeting held on Monday, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided against cancellation of the final semester (or final-year) examination and decided to ask Universities and colleges to assess the graduating batch through an examination conducted in either online or offline or blended mode.

It also decided to tweak its indicative alternate calendar and advise institutions to hold exams for them by September-end.

States like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh have already announced the cancellation of exams in colleges and universities in the view of coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

It may be recalled that in April, the UGC had asked the universities to conduct exams of the final exams in July. The guidelines had also said that the students of intermediate semesters should be promoted on the basis of their internal assessment and performance in the previous semester exam.

In the wake of the pandemic, many states had called for the cancellation of the exams. Maharashtra had said that it would not conduct the exams and the UP government stated that it would announce its decision on July 02.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in its guidelines for unlock 2.0 had however said that all schools, colleges and educational institutions shall remain shut until July 31.