University examination guidelines that score low

18th July, 2020 Editorial

Context:

UGC (University Grant Commission) has issued guidelines to conduct final year examination.
Provided blended method: Online or Pen and Paper or Both of them.
Approval has been given by the Ministry of Human Resources.
Can be postponed until the end of September 2020, but must be conducted in either online or offline mode.
Students who are appearing in backlog papers have to give “compulsory” examinations.

Reasons behind guidelines:

Decision has been taken keeping in view the future of the students — jobs and higher education.
In any education model, assessment is one of the most important Performance in exams gives students self-confidence and satisfaction.
As many as 194 universities have already conducted their final-year exams.
Students not being able to appear now can take special exams in September.

Challenges to Cooperative federalism: Many State Governments like Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra had already cancelled examinations for final-year student.
Creates fresh uncertainty for states.
Confusion among the Parents and students.
Spread of Virus: A number of State Governments are enforcing periodic lockdowns to prevent the spread of the disease. Hence, difficult to conduct the exams.
Exams itself can become the super spreader.
What if the virus does not subside by September end, then, exams will further needs to be postponed creating more confusion.
On the other hand, if the UGC shifts the mode to online then, it will be discriminatory for students belonging to poor class.
UGC does not understand the basics of Choice based credit system: It is treating final year exams as exit exams having more weightage. However, it is not true in Choice based credit system.
Since, Corona virus has already affected the learning process, students cannot be held to appear in the exams.
Already the premier institutions have cancelled the exams and evaluated the students based on marks in internal assessment.

The UGC is a statutory organization established by an Act of parliament in 1956.
This is the national body for the coordination, determination and the maintenance of standards of university education.
UGC serves as a vital link between the union and state governments and the institutions of higher learning.
Motto : Gyan-Vigyan Vimuktaye (Knowledge Liberates)

Functions:

Provides grants to the university and colleges.
UGC also advice union and state governments on the measures necessary for the improvement of university education.
It also forms regulation such as those on the minimum standards of instruction and qualification of teachers.
Curriculum development committee (CDC) on the library and information science.
Establishment of National information centre.
Establishment of INFLIBNET.
Modernization of University library.
National review committee on university and college libraries.
Conducts examinations like NET, JRF, and SRF

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