The education ministry of India has instructed all the centrally-funded educational institutions (CFTIs) to postpone all the offline exams scheduled in may. The ministry has cited the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic and safety of students as the main reason. However, the ministry has permitted to conduct online exams.
Higher Education Secretary Amit Khare said that the decision on examinations will be reviewed again in the first week of June. He also wrote in a letter that, “The institutions have been further advised to ensure that if anyone in the institution needs any assistance it should be provided immediate possible help so that he/she comes out of the distress at the earliest. All Institutions have to encourage eligible persons to go for vaccination and ensure that everyone follows Covid-19 appropriate behavior to remain safe.”
Officials said that the UGC will come up with detailed guidelines about the conduct of examinations and the new academic calendar given that the second wave has disrupted teaching and academic life again. also the decision came after students, parents and political leaders urged the government not to force students to sit for exams that could expose them to the virus.
The centrally funded institutes include the Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). IITs have already started taking precautionary measures and have announced summer break. IIT Delhi has also conducted a survey regarding its evaluation policy for the students and researchers.