PRIVATE universities that have completed 70 per cent of academic activities of the current semester and have been conducting online classes successfully for theoretical courses will be able to evaluate their students through viva and online presentations. The University Grants Commission on Thursday issued a directive with an option saying that such universities can grade students taking into account their attendances, assignments, presentations, and mid-term exam results held before. We thank UGC for taking timely decision, as it would make smoother semester completion and help to adopt digital education system. The public universities should also come up with the similar strategy to utilise lockdown time efficiently. As per the directive, private universities can also consider the results of the previous semester while preparing the results of the current session. The universities can prepare the results only after confirming that at least 60 per cent of students are participating in the online classes.
Students who will not be able to take online classes and exams should be allowed to take special classes to complete their courses. After that, they will sit for exams with the universities reopening. The universities will not be permitted to charge any extra fees from students who are out of online classes and exams. The UGC sources said only 63 universities out of 151 now have online classes. Of them, only four to five are public universities, and the rest are private. Private universities that have not started online classes should specifically inform the UGC about their plan to complete their current semesters by May 17. The universities can hold admission tests in June, and the next semester will begin in July.
We do appreciate the UGC for understanding the necessity of online education. Now it is the responsibility of the universities to ensure quality education through an online platform.
