Odisha requests Centre not to push for mandatory UG and PG final term exams

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today requested the Centre to reconsider its decision to allow conduct of under graduate and post graduate final term exams compulsory in view of the situation due to COVID-19.

In a letter, the State government urged the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to reconsider the revised guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and not to make conduct of UG and PG final term examinations mandatory.

This apart, the State government requested the MHRD to allow it to adhere to its decision on cancellation of the UG and PG exams.

The UGC in its new recommendation proposes to protect the academic interests of the terminal semester and final year students globally by conducting examinations in offline mode (by pen and paper) or online by the end of September 2020.

According to the UGC, the special examinations can be conducted by the university whenever possible so that the students do not face any inconvenience or loss. This provision will only be applicable as a one-time measure for the current academic session 2019-20.

Earlier, on June 11, the Odisha government cancelled the pending undergraduate and post graduate examinations of all the Universities in the State.

The decision was taken after a video conferencing of Higher Education Minister Arun Sahoo and the Vice Chancellors and Principals of Autonomous Colleges.

Both the pending theory and practical examination of Final Year or Final Semester of undergraduate and post graduate courses were cancelled.