UGC CONSIDERING LATER START TO ACADEMIC YR

NEW DELHI: University Grants Commission (UGC), the higher education regulator, is considering a later start to the academic calendar as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to keep campuses shut and universities struggle to hold examinations.

An expert committee headed by Central University of Haryana vice chancellor R C Kuhad has written to UGC that admissions to undergraduate courses be completed by the end of October and the new session begin by November,

according to a person familiar with the developments who requested anonymity. The panel has also recommended that for postgraduate courses, the admission process be completed by the end of November and the session commence from December 1.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry and UGC had appointed the Kuhad committee to make recommendations on the calendar for the Covid-hit academic year 2020-21. The panel had earlier recommended that the session begin from September-October .

With no improvement on the pandemic front, it has now sent revised recommendations to the UGC, which is expected to take a call in the coming days, according to the person cited above.

Significantly, it was in the same revised report that the Kuhad committee had also suggested that exams for the final year be held -- whether online, offline or a blend of both.

“The UGC had in an emergent meeting on July 6 discussed the part of the report about exams. Most of the suggestions were accepted. However, the committee has also given revised dates for the academic calendar. The

UGC is yet to take a call on the revised dates. The panel has suggested that the session for Bachelor {degree} programmes begin from November 2 and Masters programmes from December 1,” said the person.

“It is expected that results of all school boards would be out by July-August so the session for undergraduate courses can begin early. The postgraduate courses would begin after university results are out. However, there may also be a need to compress semesters or readjust syllabus,” a second person said.

“Considering the trajectory of spread of Covid in India to extend the beginning of academic sessions for UG and PG courses from November and December respectively is a reasonable decision. However the decision of the Kuhad Committee, accepted by the UGC, to make it mandatory to hold the final year semester end or year end examinations in offline/online/mixed mode needs revisit...,” said former UGC member Inder Mohan Kapahy.

“But there is definitely advantage of being in a classroom...We hope the policymakers take the best decisions,” said Shubham, a student pursuing B Tech in Delhi.