West Bengal Govt Asks Universities & Colleges To Conduct Final-Semester Exams In October

Kolkata: Final-semester college and university examinations in West Bengal will be conducted between October 1 and 18, before the Durga Puja.

This was unanimously decided on Monday at a virtual meeting where all vice-chancellors and state Education minister Partha Chatterjee were present.

The Supreme Court on August 28 had upheld the University Grants Commission (UGC) notification that states and universities cannot promote students without holding final-year exams by September 30. However, a state can approach UGC if it wants the deadline for examinations to be extended.

An official of the state education department said that modalities of the exams, online or offline, would be decided by the university concerned in consultation with all stakeholders keeping in mind COVID-19 safety protocols.

It was also decided that final semester results for arts and science streams of Jadavpur University and Presidency University, which had already been announced on the basis of 80:20 assessment, will not be valid and the two universities would have to conduct the exams as well.