West Bengal wrote to UGC sharing plans to conduct Final Exams in October: Education Minister

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus adversely affected the education sector in the country.

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee on Thursday, i.e. September 10, said that the state has written to the University Grant Commission (UGC), sharing its plans to conduct the final semester university exams in the month of October. The minister also stated that it is expecting a favourable response in the matter from the statutory organisation. Mr Chatterjee said that the TMC dispensation is confident that the University Grants Commission will agree to the suggestions made by the government for holding the exams. "The final semester exams will be conducted in accordance with the orders of the Supreme Court. The court has allowed states to hold exams at a date they deem fit, after consultations with the UGC," the minister said.

It is up to the universities to decide on the modalities for holding the exams, he added. Several institutes in the state such as Calcutta University and North Bengal University have already shared their plan of action for conducting the examinations, while Jadavpur University has said that it will start preparations after the UGC replies to the state's proposal.

The Supreme Court, in a recent order, allowed UGC to ask universities to hold final semester exams by September 30. It, however, said that states and Union Territories can approach the commission for a deadline extension.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus adversely affected the education sector in the country. With closed academic institutions, discontinue classroom lectures and delayed exams, millions of students got forced to study from home in order to contain the COVID-19 spread.

Read More:

• Health Ministry issues revised guidelines and SOP for conducting exams amid COVID-19
• NEP 2020: Prime Minister Modi to address conclave on "School Education in 21st Century"