New Delhi, July 6: The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday issued revised guidelines on examinations and academic calendar for the universities in the view of COVID-19 situation in the country. The guidelines were issued hours the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) allowed universities to hold final term exams. The exams will be conducted by the end of September 2020, by the universities in offline and online blended mode.

The UGC in its emergent meeting held on July 6 accepted the report of the expert committee and approved the “UGC Revised Guidelines on Examinations and Academic Calendar for the Universities in view of COVID-19 Pandemic.” As per the guidelines issued by the UGC, if a student fails to appear for the exam for whatsoever reason, he/ she may be given the opportunity to appear in special examinations which may be conducted by universities when feasible. Universities Allowed to Conduct Final Term Exams by Home Ministry, UGC Guidelines to be Followed During Examination.

Revised Guidelines Issued By UGC:

The commission said that the guidelines issued on April 29 notification would remain unchanged. The UGC said, “It is important to safeguard the principles of health, safety, fair and equal opportunity of students. At the same time, it is very crucial to ensure academic credibility, career opportunities and future progress of students globally.”

Earlier in the day, the MHA permitted universities and institutions to conduct exams as per safety standard operating procedure approved by the Union Health Ministry. The MHA wrote a letter to Union Higher Education Secretary regarding this. According to the Home Ministry, the examinations are to be compulsorily conducted as per the University Grants Commission (UGC) Guidelines.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 06, 2020 10:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).