Pondicherry University will hold open book exams for end-semester students, a statement issued on September 17 said. “In order to ensure fair and equal opportunity for students appearing in online/offline/blended mode, it has been decided to conduct end semester examinations under the "Open Book Examination" mode as per UGC guidelines issued in April 2020,” Pondicherry University said.
Duration of the examination, exam pattern, and other conditions will remain unchanged. Students will be required to write their answers in A4 sheets, the university said.
The university has asked students to submit their answer sheets within 30 minutes after the end of the examination. “All pages written are to be scanned and saved sequentially in a single file (PDF format). Students should write their registration number, subject, course, date and full signature on the first page and the answers should start from the second page,” an official statement said.
During the exam, students will be allowed to refer to books, study materials and notes to answer the questions. However, answers should not be copied from other sources, Pondicherry University said.
“Answers should reflect their (students') understanding of the concept not verbatim copying from sources. The chief superintendents are expected to ensure that the reference materials are not exchanged between students to avoid COVID infection,” an official statement said.
UGC's July guidelines on exam and academic calendar made it mandatory for universities to conduct final year or semester exam by September end in online, offline, or mixed mode.
However, the Supreme court on August 28 said that universities can ask for an extension of the September 30 deadline. “States can postpone final year exams under Disaster Management Act but fresh dates have to be fixed in consultation with UGC,” the court said.
