Regular year exams for the students of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) were cancelled last year due to the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Now, with the exam season drawing near, SPPU students are demanding online exams citing COVID-19 scare, reported The Indian Express.
On Wednesday, the Minister for Higher and Technical Education Uday Samant had said universities can conduct exams online as well as offline as per the COVID-19-related situation in their respective areas.
However, SPPU's exam department is yet to take a decision on the dates and mode of the exams.
As per a report by Pune Mirror, the decision will be taken during SPPU's board of examinations committee meeting this week.
Sakal has reported that the SPPU administration is mulling over students' demand for conducting exams online. The report stated that the university is planning to conduct online exams in its colleges in a proctored manner with an invigilator in place to curb cheating.
Universities have been directed not to force students to pay full fees, and a committee is looking into students' fee-related grievances, Samant said.
"If a college is found violating government norms, it will face legal action," he added.
Samant had also said that while colleges can reopen from 15 February, all hostels may not as some of them are being used as quarantine centres.
Physical classes in colleges had stopped last March following the worsening pandemic.
"Colleges in the state can resume physical classes from 15 February with 50 per cent capacity," Samant was quoted as saying.
Universities can start with practicals, and gradually schedule physical lectures, he had told reporters, adding that colleges are expected to take students into confidence while deciding on this.
Students will get relaxation from the 75 per cent attendance rule as colleges have remained shut for most part of the academic year 2020–21 due to the pandemic, the minister had assured.
"The curriculum of second and final-year courses has been covered to some extent through virtual classes."
(With inputs from PTI)
