The best news you have heard in a while! Delhi government cancels exams in all state-run universities

On Saturday, just four days after UGC’s decision to push back the final year exams to after August 15, the Delhi government announced the cancellation of all state-run universities. The decision is not just for final year students, but also for all other semester examinations that may have been scheduled. It will apply to all the universities run by the Delhi Government.

As per Manish Sisodia, Deputy CM, Delhi, the results for the students will be announced on the basis of previous examinations, combined with internal assessment for the current semester. He argued that there hasn’t been enough material or support available to the students in this period. It is not only unfair but also pointless to conduct examinations when regular classes were deferred for the most part of this semester.

However, he also stated that the universities have the autonomy to decide upon a ‘progressive’ method of evaluation as long as it does not involve examinations. Ambedkar University, DTU, Guru Gobind Singh IP University, Indira Gandhi Technical University for Women are some of the universities that will be affected by this decision.

It is to be noted that central universities are not bound by this decision. Deli University, Jamia Milia Islamia, and JNU will still be following the UGC guidelines until a decision is taken by their respective administrations.

Delhi government’s decision comes as a response to the widespread criticism of the (latest) revised guideline released by UGC. The apex body for funding higher education institutions has come under scrutiny along with the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) after pushing the exams for a second time.

State government representatives from Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab and West Bengal have also announced, that they will be writing to the Centre with a formal decision deferring the final year exams. Major disapproval on the statement of Mr Ramesh Pokhriyal, HRD minister, which stated that "Performance in examinations is a reflection of their (students’) ability, performance and reliability that is essential for global acceptance”.

Teachers and students who have been relentlessly fighting against the decision of DU to conduct online OBE feel that this decision from the capital city’s governing body will help their court case against Delhi University. Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal has also recently urged the Hon’ble PM to personally intervene in the matter.

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