Ahead of hearing in the Supreme Court on August 14 on the Yuva Sena petition challenging the University Grants Commission’s revised guidelines on conducting final year exams, the Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday made a fresh appeal to PM Narendra Modi to chalk out a national level policy in this regard. Amidst present coronavirus pandemic, Thackeray at the video conference of CMs chaired by PM Modi reiterated that exams should not be conducted for non-professional courses and students be passed on aggregate marks.
‘’Students are the future of the country and their lives should not be endangered, so they should not take the final year exams of non-professional courses,’’ said Thackeray. His fresh appeal comes close on the heels of the state government’s affidavit in the apex court reiterating its decision to cancel the final year examinations. The government has submitted that the Disaster Management Authority chaired by Thackeray has taken decision twice based on the recommendations by the Vice-Chancellors of the 13 non-agricultural universities citing the present Covid-19 pandemic.
Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray and Maharashtra Minister of Higher and Technical Education Uday Samant have said that UGC should not make the final year examinations an ego issue. Samant has cited that about 10 states have already decided not to hold examinations by September end as envisaged by the UGC.
Further, Thackeray today also urged PM Modi to take a decision on the final year examination of medical courses and the students need to take the exams orally as per their wish.
On Fighting Covid
CM Thackeray said that the state government has strengthened the health infrastructure to avoid the second bout of virus infection. He informed that the government has made efforts to reduce the death rate and cited Dharavi and Worli as success stories. ‘’ However, the war against the virus is not over yet. The government has stepped up efforts to prevent the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in the state,’’ he said.
Thackeray said the government proposes to set up hospitals in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra to treat contagious diseases. Further, he stated that the government will increase the number of immunology labs and strengthen the research to study how and why different types of viruses originate.
CM strongly made a case for the use of masks and social distancing to curb the spread of coronavirus till the availability of drugs and vaccines. "However, if we learn to live with corona in this way, the process of unlocking will be easier and faster,’’ he assured.
