Technical varsities in Punjab may hold exams only for final-year students

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 3

Amid the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions on opening of educational institutions, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has asked the state technical universities and Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training to promote students of intermediate semesters. Only final-year students should be asked to appear in the examinations, it said.

Near 1.50 lakh students are enrolled with two state technical universities. Acting on the directions of the AICTE, the technical education board has already issued instructions to polytechnic colleges to promote students in second and fourth semesters while conducting exams of students of the final semester. Around 50,000 students of polytechnic and pharmacy are enrolled with the board. Of these, 17,000 are in the final year.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, in a communication to its affiliated colleges, has intimated about conducting exams of final semester students of all courses.

Technical Education Minister Charanjit Channi said an announcement to promote students in all intermediate semesters would be made in the coming days after formally discussing the subjects in a meeting. “The exams will be conducted with the next semester papers. Moreover, due to the lockdown, many students have not been able to deposit the examination fee. Such a decision will go in the favour of students,” he said.

A senior government functionary said due to the lockdown, it had become impossible for outstation students, especially of Bihar and J&K, to sit in the offline examinations. Some of the students were under quarantine after reaching their home states.

The IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala, has also announced to conduct online exams for final-semester students.

Secretary, Technical Education, Anurag Verma said initially, the exams were scheduled for July. “But now, the Ministry of Home Affairs has announced to issue fresh instructions on opening of educational institutions in July. So we are waiting for the instructions,” he said.

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