'Will not put students' life at risk & hold terminal exams in Sept'

Kolkata: State Education minister Partha Chatterjee has made it clear to Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who happens to be the Chancellor of the state universities that the state government will not put the students at risk amidst the COVID -19 pandemic by conducting terminal semester examinations in the month of September. The recent guidelines of University Grants Commission has stated that the final semester examinations for students will be mandatory and should be held by end of September 2020.

"We are following the first guidelines of the UGC on the basis of which the Higher Education department has brought out an advisory based on deliberations with all stakeholders including teachers, guardians and academicians. Holding of physical examination, given the current COVID 19 scenario, was not feasible as students will be at risk," said Chatterjee after his meeting with Dhankhar.

As decided, the final semester results of the universities will be premised on 80 per cent weightage for best aggregate percentage in any of previous semester/year and 20 percent weightage on internal assessment in current semester/year.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention on the MHRD and UGC issuing guidelines to states asking colleges and universities to compulsorily conduct final semester examinations by the end of

September. It is learnt that Dhankhar has assured Chatterjee of taking up the matter appropriately.

The Governor will have an interaction with the the Vice Chancellors and Pro Vice chancellors of the state universities on Wednesday on this issue.