University Grant Commission (UGC) has issued a notice on their official website asking all the universities not to conduct offline examinations in May.
“Keeping in view the current scenario of COVID-19, it is requested that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) may keep the offline examinations in abeyance during May 2021 to avoid physical gathering at the campuses and also to provide much needed relief to the students, faculty, and staff who are presently occupied in fighting COVID-19 in one way or the other,” the UGC letter reads.
The letter further states that the decision on conducting examinations could be reviewed by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in June 2021.
Key Highlights:
- University Grant Commission (UGC) issues notice to cancel exams in May 2021
- The decision will be reviewed again in the first week of June 2021
- The decision to conduct offline exams may be looked into by the HEI’s after considering the local situation and their level of preparation to ensure all safety measures.
UGC’s Instructions for Conducting Online Examinations
The UGC has stressed in its official letter that health and safety are more important for everyone amid increasing cases of COVID-19. Hence, the commission has asked the universities and colleges to assess the local conditions and ensure that they are prepared to conduct online examinations in all respects, following all the directions and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education, Central Government, and State Government.
Instructions for the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
UGC has directed the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to keep offline examinations in abeyance during May 2021 in order to avoid physical gatherings in the campuses. This will help in avoiding the risk of getting infected and provide much-needed relief to the students, faculty, and staff.
Earlier, the Education Ministry had directed all the centrally-funded institutions (IITs, NITs, IIITs, Central Universities, etc.) to postpone offline exams in May 2021. The online examinations, however, may continue following the guidelines issued.
