Amarinder Singh writes to PM Modi to review UGC guidelines regarding university examinations

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, UGC to vice-chancellors of all universities for conducting mandatory examinations for terminal classes/semesters by September 30, 2020.

The Punjab CM, in the letter, said that he was unsure over "whether the situation would be conducive for conducting offline physical examinations by September."

He also mentioned that conducting physical examinations would also involve huge logistical and operational challenges as many institutes, and their hostels have been taken over by the administration for COVID-19 management purposes.

Singh said that the Punjab government on July 3 had decided to cancel all pending UG and PG final examinations and to promote students on the basis of performance in previous years.

"We had also allowed the conduct of examinations for the purpose of improvement of grades for interested students, once the situation becomes conducive.. The state Higher Education Minister has already written to the Union HRD Minister on July 10 in this regard," it read.

"I would request you to advise MHRD and UGC to reconsider the entire issue in the larger public interest and to allow the state government to implement its aforesaid decision. UGC may be asked to reiterate its earlier issued guidelines of April 29, 2020, wherein it had been clearly mentioned that the guidelines were advisory in nature and each state/university would chart out its own plan of action taking into consideration the issues pertaining to COVID-19 pandemic," Singh said.

( With inputs from ANI )