CHENNAI: Indicating that Tamil Nadu may not be in a position to conduct the final semester examinations of college students by September, due to the prevailing situation, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday urged the Centre to allow the States to work out their own assessment methods, without compromising on the quality and academic credibility.
Though the State had scheduled to conduct semester examinations in April, it could not conduct them because of the pandemic outbreak, the CM said and recalled the UGC guidelines dated April 29 which gave flexibility to universities and colleges for the conduct of examinations.
Taking exception to the latest guidelines issued by the UGC on July 6, mandating all educational institutions across the country to conduct examinations by September for the final-semester students, the Chief Minister said the UGC directive has posed many difficulties.
Apex higher edu bodies should endorse decisions taken by States, says EPS The CM said that the July 6 guidelines from the UGC posed several challenges, which include the commuting of students to the examination centres as many of them are residing outside the district, the State or even the country. Palaniswami further said it would not be feasible to conduct online examinations, considering the various issues relating to digital access to the students.
Recalling that many States had taken a decision not to conduct the final semester examinations, the Chief Minister said, “To ensure career opportunities, future prospects and to simultaneously safeguard the principles of health, safety, fair and equal opportunity for students, the States may be given the freedom to work out their own assessment methods, without compromising on the quality and academic credibility.
In this context, the Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to direct the respective Apex authorities such as UGC, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Council of Architecture (COA), Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE) and National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology to endorse the decisions of the respective State governments, which would be based on the prevailing local conditions.
“This would go a long way in rendering justice and fairness to the parents and the students, during these distressful times,” the Chief Minister said. The Chief Minister also pointed out that most of the government and private arts and science and engineering colleges, polytechnics and other institutions of higher learning (including the hostels, classrooms, etc.,) in the State have been converted as Covid care centres for housing asymptomatic patients and these centres might continue as care centres for some more time.
“Therefore, if we are not in a position to conduct examinations even after waiting till September 2020, it would jeopardise the future of the students who are in their final year/semester. “Moreover, it will also unnecessarily affect the future of the students who were recruited through campus selections and the students who have applied for courses abroad, who may have to join in the month of October 2020, after the ban on international travel is lifted,” the Chief Minister said.
SOP to issue books
The State has issued standard operating procedure for free distribution of text books to Class X, XII students from Monday