This story is from May 31, 2020

Maharashtra CM indicates exams for final year will be conducted

Final year university exams should be held amid measures to ensure the coronavirus does not spread among students, said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday.
Maharashtra CM indicates exams for final year will be conducted
BEST AC buses wait to take migrants to stations in Kurla on Saturday
MUMBAI: Final year university exams should be held amid measures to ensure the coronavirus does not spread among students, said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday.
He directed the higher and technical education department to explore all options for the conduct of the exams. Legal options will also be explored to see if the exams can be made optional for students.
Thackeray and higher education minister Uday Samant along with government officials had an online meeting with the vice-chancellors of state universities to discuss the conduct of the final year exams and the schedule for the next academic session.

The chief minister said it was not possible to conduct the exams in July. "Now the issue of ending the uncertainty about the exams will have to be dealt with as a matter of priority. Planning will have to be done to allay the fears in the minds of students and parents," he said.
The state government is mulling over the decision to make exams optional. It will mean that students can either opt for the average of their marks and grades in previous semesters or they can appear for the final exams at a later date for employment or higher education. The chief minister directed the department to seek legal opinion on giving the "optional facility" and to come up with modalities of its implementation.

He said that the Covid-19 situation was changing, citing examples of Kerala and Goa, which witnessed a second wave after the lockdown was relaxed. "The situation in Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad is also constantly changing. But there should not be uncertainty over the exams. Exams should be held by taking all measures. Officials should work on new technology or methods which could be applied for conducting exams," he said. He advised officials to consider the changing situation as an opportunity to improve the education system.
The student community in the state was confused regarding the conduct of the final year and semester examinations. In a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC), higher and technical education minister Uday Samant had sought permission to cancel exams citing the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the state. It raised a storm in academic circles with even chancellor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asking the chief minister to issue suitable instructions to the minister as not conducting final year exams would be in violation of the UGC guidelines and provisions of the 'Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016'.
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