Uncertainty looms large over the commencement of 2020 academic session even as the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) has chalked out a tentative programme to conduct under graduate and post graduate examinations in phases, starting from mid-July.
The exams of second, fourth and sixth semester of under graduate courses in colleges affiliated to the university would start in mid-July, provided the Covid situation remains under control.
A committee, set up for to chalk out a tentative schedule for holding the examinations, recommended starting with examination of three semesters of UG courses. About 42,000 to 45,000 students would appear in these examinations, which would be held in strict adherence to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), University Grants Commission (UGC) and the state government, said Vice-Chancellor Prof Sikender Kumar.
About 150 examination centres are proposed to be set up and evaluation of answersheets would be done internally in the same college. The students would be given a choice to appear at the examination centres nearest to their homes. Principals have been issued instructions to observe social distancing norms, proper sanitisation of premises and mask availability. They have also been asked to arrange accommodation in nearby schools in case additional space is required, he added.
Tentatively, the department-wise post graduate examinations would be held in the month of August and the new academic session would start in September while under the annual system, exams were conducted only after regular classes were resumed.
The HPU had earlier planned to hold the examinations in month of June so that admissions for 2020 session could start in July and regular class from September but extension of lockdown up to May 30 forced the government and the university to defer the examinations.
Semester, annual system going parellel
HPU, the first university in the country to introduce RUSA and semester system in 2014, had rolled back to the annual system of examination in 2018. At present, both annual and semester systems are in vogue, burdening the university with holding multiple examinations. Holding the sixth semester examinations on time is crucial as students have to apply for admissions in PG courses in other states on the basics of result and entrance tests.
Source : The Tribune
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