Unlock 4.0: New calendar for UG, PG 1st year released, Education Minister makes major announcement

The Union Ministry of Education on Tuesday (September 22) approved the revised UGC guidelines on academic calendar for first year undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students for the academic session 2020-21. 

Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ took to Twitter to make the announcement in this regard. "The UGC has accepted the report of the committee and approved the UGC guidelines on academic calendar for the first year of undergraduate and postgraduate students of the Universities for the Session 2020-21," he tweeted.

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

The academic calendar approved by the minsitry showed that classes for first-year students will start from November and the admission process will continue till October 30.

Union Education Ministry has also advised all higher education institutions to hold classes six days a week to make up for lost learning hours. The ministry has also advised the institutions to curtails the breaks and vacations.

It may be recalled that earlier an alternative academic calendar for higher education institutions was released by the UGC on April 29 and that calendar had 
prescribed that universities conduct their final-year or terminal semester examination from July 1 to July 15. The UGC had also said in that calendar that the results should be declared by July-end.

The Education Ministry also announced on Tuesday (September 2) that full refund will be made on admission cancellation.“To avoid financial hardship being faced by the parents due to lockdown and related factors, a full refund of fees will be made on account of all cancellation of admissions/ migration of students, up to November 30, 2020, for this very session as a special case,” said the Ministry.