UGC guidelines on academic calendar for 2020-21 session issued amid COVID-19 pandemic

The UGC has approved the guidelines on the academic calendar for the first year of under-graduate and post-graduate students of the universities for the session 2020-21, amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

File pic: Zee News

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Tuesday (September 22) announced the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines on the academic calendar for the first year of undergraduate and post-graduate students of the Universities for the session 2020-21 in view of COVID-19 Pandemic.

At its meeting held on September 21, 2020, the UGC approved the guidelines on the academic calendar for the first year of under-graduate and post-graduate students of the universities for the session 2020-21, amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

The admissions to the first-year programmes for the session 2020-21 will be completed by the end of October 2020. The last date for admissions to fill up the remaining vacant seats shall be November 30, 2020, said the ministry of education.

The academic session 2020-21 may commence from November 1, 2020, for first-year students.

In a tweet, Union Education Minister Pokhriyal Nishank said, "In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has accepted the Report of the Committee and approved the @ugc_india Guidelines on Academic Calendar for the First Year of Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Students of the Universities for the Session 2020-21."

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has accepted the Report of the Committee and approved the @ugc_india Guidelines on Academic Calendar for the First Year of Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Students of the Universities for the Session 2020-21.

Suggested calendar pic.twitter.com/JPYNhiWb0k — Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) September 22, 2020

For the academic session 2020-2021, the following calendar has been suggested:

- Admission Process (To be completed) 31.10.2020
- Commencement of Classes of the above students
- Fresh batch (First Semester/Year) 01.11.2020
- Preparatory Break 01.03.2021 to 07.03.2021
- Conduct of Examinations 08.03.2021 to 26.03.2021
- Semester Break 27.03.2021 to 04.04.2021
- Commencement of Classes for Even Semester 5.04.2021
- Preparatory Break 01.08.2021 to 08.08.2021
- Conduct of Examinations 09.08.2021 to 21.08.2021
- Semester break 22.08.2021 to 29.08.2021
- Commencement of next academic session for this batch 30.08.2021

If there is a delay in the declaration of the result of the qualifying examinations, the UGC has said that the universities may plan and start the academic session by November 18, 2020. The teaching-learning process may continue in offline/online/blended mode, it said.