India News | Centre Should Drop Plan to Conduct Final Semester Exams: Pondy CM

Puducherry, July 12 (PTI) Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Sunday urged the Centre to rescind the plan to conduct college examinations for final year students as they would run the risk of contracting coronavirus, which is prevalent across the country.

The central government should understand how 'risky and impractical' it is for students to appear for the final semester under graduate or post graduate examinations in the current situation, he pointed out.

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Speaking to reporters here through video mode, Narayanasamy said, "The Centre should ensure that Universities and colleges cancel all schedules to conduct the final semester examinations as candidates would run the risk of contracting the infection."

The Chief Minister said a batch of students of PG medical course had met him and pleaded for cancellation of the final semester examinations as they were involved in Anti-COVID measures.

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Noting that a detailed letter has been written to the Union HRD Ministry urging it to cancel any plan to conduct the examinations, he said, "Promotion and evaluation of the students could be done on the basis of their performance in the earlier semester tests."

"It would be risky for the students to adhere to any safety norms and with the prevalence of the infection picking up fast no examination would be feasible," he added.

The UGC has issued guidelines mandating all educational institutions across the country to conduct exams by September 30 this year, for the final semester students.

On presentation of full fledged budget of Puducherry for the fiscal 2020-21, the CM said he was yet to receive a letter from the Union Home Ministry giving its nod for the proposals of the budget.

He said he had submitted the relevant file with budget proposals 40 days ago to the Union Home Ministry.

"Nothing had been heard in writing in response to my letter," he said.

The territorial government had passed in its previous session on March 30 Vote on Account (Appropriation) Bill earmarking funds for the departments for first three months (April to June) to meet their routine expenditure from out of the Consolidated Fund.

On the unabated increase in number of COVID-19 cases in Puducherry, Narayanasamy said it was due to large turnout of guests and invitees at marriages and other functions.

Narayanasamy also said, "a situation has now developed where people are constrained to live with coronavirus. People have no other option except to adhere to the safety norms including social distancing and frequent washing of hands."

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