Coronavirus outbreak leads to a complete lockdown because the lockdown is the only measure taken in force to protect the citizen. As a result, all the universities and schools have been closed since March 16. Now due to the increase in the number of cases of coronavirus government announced lockdown till May 3.
The lockdown affects the academic too much this year and hence a panel was appointed by the University Grants Commission (UGC). According to the panel, the next academic year in colleges and universities should be extended to September. Usually, the academic year starts from mid-July by due to the spread of this pandemic it is suggested by the panel to push this academic year to September.
University Grants Commission constitutes two more committees who will study on the issues related to academic loss and online education due to COVID-19 outbreak. The two panels submitted there reports on Friday.
Out of these two committees one committee led by Haryana University Vice-Chancellor R.C Kuhad. This committee was formed to look after the ways to conduct the examination and also work on the new academic calendar. Another committee was led by the vice-chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Nageshwar Rao. This committee of IGNOU recommends some ways to improve online education in this pandemic.
According to the report submitted by both the panels one panel has suggested to push the semester to September than mid-July because of the lockdown and another panel suggest that the university should conduct online examination this year if possible or should wait for the lockdown to open to have a pen-paper examination in the university itself.
An official said that they are not bounded to accept all the suggestions given by the panel. The suggestion will come in force only if they are feasible according to the situation. The boards are pending so it is quite possible that there will be a delay in the academic session this year. The university will take all the necessary steps which are helpful for the students.
The Central Board Secondary Education (CBSC) has already announced that exams of only 29 subjects will be conducted by the board as these subjects are crucial for the promotion of undergraduate admission.
There are more than 24,500 cases in India of Coronavirus till now.
~Neha Dhingra
