In a U-turn, Haryana to hold terminal examinations

Pradeep Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13

Taking a U-turn on terminal examinations, the Haryana Government has decided to hold terminal examinations of all final semesters of all classes under higher and technical examinations as per the July 6 UGC guidelines.

An order of Ankur Gupta, Principal Secretary(Higher Education), said, “The terminal examinations will be conducted by the universities keeping in view the July 6 UGC guidelines when the commission had recommended many options out of which the universities are free to choose any as per their convenience and local conditions.” The order said all standard protocols for the safety of all concerned should be strictly enforced.

The UGC had recommended the holding of examinations for all terminal classes in physical, online and blended modes by September end.

On June 23, the higher education department had issued orders saying that “there will be no examinations even for the final semester”. The orders said the terminal examinations (final semester) and intermediate semester examinations would not be conducted and all the students shall be promoted to the next semester with 50 per cent weightage of marks of internal assessment, plus 50 per cent weightage of the marks in previous examinations.

However, the students were given chance to improve their grades later.

Meanwhile, Narender Siwach, president of the Haryana Government College Teachers Association, said holding the examination in either physical or online mode was no feasibile in the wake of ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.”The state government should talk to stakeholders, including teachers and students representatives, to find to devise an mechanism to promote students without examinations,”he added.