Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the state's universities will not hold final-year exams either but award marks based on an aggregate of previous years' results instead. This decision was take for Maharashtra's colleges and universities as “present circumstances do not allow for examinations to be held immediately”, he wrote on social media.
Uddhav Thackeray's statement came after a meeting with heads of universities on May 30 where Vice Chancellors “unanimously” agreed that it is too “risky for lakhs of students to come together for exams”.
The Maharashtra Education Minister Uday Samant had announced on May 8 that all college and university students, except for final-year ones, will be promoted without exams because conducting exams during the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus was not feasible. Mr Uday Samant had also written to the University Grants Commission, or UGC, asking for permission to graduate final-year students without exams.
Exam Cancelled
Uddhav Thackeray, through the official social media account of the Chief Minister's Office, said: “We have decided that students will get aggregate marks based on their performance in the previous semesters for that academic year. This is because there is no clarity on when the exams can be held. The future of students should not be kept hanging because of this.”
I held a meeting of Vice-Chancellors yesterday regarding final year college exams. They unanimously said that the present circumstances do not allow for examinations to be held immediately as it is risky for lakhs of students to come together for exams.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) May 31, 2020
Mr Thackeray also said that If a student wants to improve his performance in his final year he can do it “in September, October, and November based on how the situation evolves”.
On May 30, the Press Trust of India, or PTI, had quoted an official statement in which Mr Thackeray said, "It is becoming clear that examinations cannot be held in July", and that the uncertainty in this regard should be ended and all options explored.
Mumbai University students had been campaigning for the cancellation of exams for weeks.
School Education
Talking about schools, the Chief Minister said that most schools are currently used for quarantine purposes but these can be opened once disinfected.
Mr Thackeray pointed out that some countries had already opened schools and had to close it down later. The Chief Minister said that the onus is on “starting education than on reopening schools”.
Mr Thackeray also said that the government will be in talks with telecom companies for “offering data” and are pondering methods of e-learning.
“We will talk to telecom companies for offering data. The use of mediums like television, radio, and e-learning can be explored. SD cards can be given to those who have laptops, mobiles and tabs for e-learning.”
