Yuva Sena and Maharashtra Minister of Higher and Technical Education Uday Samant have separately launched campaigns in support of the cancellation of final-year examinations despite University Grants Commission’s (UGC) revised guidelines. The state government, on Wednesday, reiterated that it is firmly against holding final-year examinations amidst the present coronavirus pandemic.
Yuva Sena has received more than almost 2 lakh signatures opposing UGC’s guidelines of conducting these exams notwithstanding the coronavirus pandemic.
Terming UGC’s decision ‘shocking’, Samant said the guidelines were issued without due consultation with the state governments. “I have written it to the Minister of Human Resource Development, UGC, and the Home Minister raising our concern about conducting examinations in the pandemic. If UGC was keen, then it should have issued guidelines in April,’’ he noted.
Samant, in a bid to muster support for the cancellation of examinations, spoke to his counterparts from Punjab, Rajasthan, and Odisha, who have also taken a similar decision citing the COVID-19 pandemic. “There is no adequate infrastructure for conducting online exams, as the government will have to develop it, which will need time,’’ he said.
“UGC’s decision is risking the lives of students, teachers, and parents. If UGC wants us to conduct examinations, they should give us SOP and tell us how we should conduct the test. There is a lack of transportation and fear of the pandemic. In such a situation, how can we conduct examinations?" he noted.
Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai, in his tweet, said the response for its signature campaign for the cancellation of final-year exams from students is overwhelming. “Let us show our strength in numbers. Keep sharing, keep spreading. Let us make our voice heard. Wakeup@ugc_india,’’ he added.
In another tweet, Sardesai said 32 Karnataka students who wrote SSLC exam tested positive. “Karnataka is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state, and yet it wants to put crores of students and education staff at risk. Mind baffling,’’ he noted.
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