Dangerous to hold final semester exams, Maharashtra govt tells Bombay HC – Times of India

MUMBAI: Looking at the prevailing Covid-19 situation in Maharashtra, it will be “inherently dangerous” especially from the point of view of student safety to hold final semester exams of professional and non-professional courses, the state government has told Bombay high court.
The Department of Higher and Technical Education has replied to a PIL that seeks quashing of the state’s June 19 decision to issue degrees to over 10 lakh final year students by giving average marks based on their past performance.
The reply informed that the Disaster Management Authority on July 13 convened a meeting following revised guidelines by University Grants Commission. It considered various aspects including the alarming situation in the entire State, lockdown imposed by various municipal bodies, declared containment zones, college buildings being used as isolation centres in various districts and views of majority of vice-chancellors that it is not possible to conduct exams in the state. The authority after deliberations reiterated and confirmed its earlier decision not to permit exams and state’s June 19 GR. “Considering the overall situation, facts and circumstances, the authority has taken conscious decision of not permitting holding of the final semester examination, which decision is perfectly legal and valid.”
The reply also said the final semester exam in the new pattern of “semester system” of education is like any other semester exam that a student undergoes while completing a course of Higher and Technical Education Education. And that it “is not, in a classical sense, a decisive and final examination, which determines the successful completion” of a course by a student.