Final year exams for MP varsities to begin on June 29: Govt

The final year/semester exams for graduate, post-graduate and other courses for all universities in Madhya Pradesh will be held between June 29 and July 31, the state government said on Monday.

The decision was taken in a meeting attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with Governor Lalji Tandon and senior officials of higher education department at Raj Bhawan here.

"CM Chouhan took part in a meeting of higher education department to decide on the dates of the final examination of graduate, post-graduate and other courses of the state universities. Accordingly, the final year/semester exams of the state universities, both government and private, will be held from June 29 to July 31," an official release said.

The meeting of Chouhan with the governor once again fuelled speculations on the second expansion of the state Cabinet which has been pending in view of the COVID-19 crisis.

According to sources, senior BJP MLAs, including former ministers, are hoping for cabinet berths. Sources close to Chouhan said that another expansion of the council of ministers is likely to happen by this month-end. Chouhan took oath as chief minister on March 23 for a record fourth term, after his predecessor, Kamal Nath of Congress stepped down.

Chouhan remained a lone member in the Cabinet for a month before inducting five MLAs last month. According to sources, Prabhuram Choudhary, Imarti Devi, Mahendra Sisodia and Pradyumna Singh Tomar, who all quit the Congress government along with other MLAs following a revolt by Jyotiraditya Scindia, might be inducted in the next expansion of the Cabinet. Scindia later joined the BJP.

Nath had to resign as the CM as 22 MLAs, including six ministers, defected to the BJP.