West Bengal Govt asks state universities to conduct final semester exams in October

West Bengal government on Monday asked state universities to conduct final semester college and university examinations between October 1 and 18.

A senior official of higher education department, who attended a virtual meeting between Vice-Chancellors and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee earlier in day, said that it was unanimously decided that final semester exams would be completed between October 1-18 in backdrop of a Supreme Court order on issue.

Supreme Court on August 28 had said that states and universities cant promote students without holding final-year exams by September 30.

However, a state has to approach UGC if it cant conduct exams by September 30, apex court had said.

modalities of exams, online or offline following COVID-19 protocols, would be decided by university concerned in consultation with stakeholders, official said.

meeting also decided that final semester results for arts and science streams of Jadavpur University, and Presidency University, which had already been anunced on criteria of 80:20 assessment, will t be valid and two universities would have to conduct exams as well, he said.

two reputed educational institutions along with ar state-run university had broadly followed July 6 advisory of higher education department on evaluation and 80:20 pattern of previous semester performance.

However, department will t issue any fresh advisory on issue and leave it to varsities to decide on process of conducting exams, official said.

After Supreme Court order, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said, "I have told our Education minister to look into possibility of conducting final-year exams in universities and colleges before Durga Puja in October. options of both online and offline exams should be looked into."