Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray, who has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the University Grant Commission’s (UGC) revised guidelines to conduct final year exams during the pandemic, on Monday, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urged the postponement of all academic activities to do with physical or online examinations across the country for all personal courses including entrance exams. This is necessary when the various institutions and universities for professional and non-professional courses have been trying to schedule examinations.
He argued that holding examinations will not be practical and feasible as more states are facing increasing numbers of Covid cases along with red zones still in place and transport yet to resume. Aaditya in a tweet said, "I have written to the Hon Prime Minister, Shri@narendramodi ji on the health risk that the proposed exams of various streams, and entrance exams, would have for students and families across India and for his personal intervention.’’
As far as the non-professional courses, Aaditya said most of their assessment has been carried out and the final examination wouldn’t amount to more than 10% of assessment. Hence, he suggested that they may be passed on a making system devised by the universities.
Aaditya’s letter comes at a time when the Supreme Court has held hearing on Yuva Sena’s plea and expected to deliver judgement.
‘’Wherever in the world schools and colleges have re-opened, a large number of Covid cases have been found. In our country, most students live with their parents and grandparents and the infection, if at all, can be fatal. The system for even a single paper would include not just students, but teachers, non-teaching staff and much more of the state apparatus, most of whom are in the high-risk group,’’ said Aaditya.
‘’We may also think of starting our academic year from January 2021 instead of June-July 2020 so that no student loses the academic year,’’ noted Aaditya.
