The UGC, also known as the University Grants Commission conducts a number of exams each year, affecting the future of lakhs of students in the country. This is in addition to the other competitive exams held for a number of fields and colleges each year. The primary function of this organisation is to give students the opportunity to avail higher education. As per reports from the Hindu, UGC has recommended the cancellation of exams for final year semester exams. This has been done in keeping with the ongoing COVID 19 situation. This decision, if implemented, would hand in hand with many other exams – both board and competitive – that have been delayed due to the pandemic. In fact, there have been a slew of recent news articles about how parents have filed a petition in the Supreme Court to cancel the board exams with many states considering the same, as well.
So what are the changes that we can expect from the revisions of the UGC exams rules? These rules are not too different from the rules for board exams and other competitive exams. The changes in the rules and the cancellation or delay of the exams would affect a number of bodies including the Bar Council of India, Pharmacy Council, Architecture Council and many others on behalf of whom UGC exams are conducted.
The rules would most probably have to do with the following, for the UGC exams:
- Delay or cancellation of the exams: This has been reported and updated by the Hindu, wherein the UGC exams would most probably be cancelled as per the recommendations put forth by the various stakeholders who are involved. This would cause a further delay in the academic session that was supposed to begin in October this year. This delay or cancellation would affect lakhs of students.
- Extra Sanitization: The sanitization of the centers and the halls before the UGC exams would become a mandatory matter which would lead to the use of much infrastructure and resources. Further, all employees and staff would have to be screened before they are let into close proximity with the students and the people who are appearing for the exams.
- UGC Exam centers: There would probably be a limit on the number of applications and students who are allowed to appeared for the exams with a staggered attendance so that the delay can then fit in with the delayed academic session. There would probably be a close down of certain centers to curb and curtail the spread of the virus as well.
- Social Distancing: This is a keyword in today’s times and the UGC exams would be playing it by the ear with desks and chairs that are kept at least 6 feet apart. This would also mandate staggered attendance since too many students and invigilators would not be allowed into the same hall at one time, so as to contain the spread of the virus.
- Promotions: Final semester students will most probably be given promotions based on their past performance even if the UGC exams get cancelled.
With such measures in place, the state of UGC exams will become even more competitive and students will have to handle the stress with measures like counselling. Further, students would have to depend on means like online learning and other free resources online for their studies. This also calls for a closer look into the future of EdTech and how it has to evolve to fit the changing needs of these changing times!
