UGC panel suggests scrapping final year exams of all colleges, universities

New Delhi: A day after the Union HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank announced that the University Grants Commission (UGC) has been advised to revisit guidelines for intermediate and Terminal Semester examinations, the UGC panel on Thursday recommended scrapping the final year examinations for all colleges and universities. 

A formal announcement about the decision will be made in a few days.

The decision was taken after a large number of education institutions expressed their inability to conduct final year exams in the wake of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier, the Commission had recommended to cancel the intermediate exams but now even the universities have been acked to cancel the final year/semester examinations.

The revised guidelines advise universities and colleges to grade students based on performance in previous years or semesters and internal assessments.

On Wednesday, the HRD minister tweeted: "I have advised the UGC to revisit the guidelines issued earlier for intermediate and Terminal Semester examinations and academic calendar. The foundation for revisited guidelines shall be health and safety students, teachers and staff."

Meanhwhile, four states - Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana - have already scrapped the university and college exams in their states.