Vinoba Bhave University is getting ready to introduce semester system in under-graduate courses from session 2015-16. VC Professor Gurdeep Singh indicated in the recently-concluded East Zone Vice Chancellors’ Meet in his welcome address. In his speech he had said that as per the guidelines of UGC very shortly we are going to start semester system at UG level in our university.
After the conclusion of this meet the VBU administration formed a committee under the chairmanship of Dean Science Dr. Chandreshwar Prasad to prepare the road map of introducing semester system. Other members of this committee are Professor KK Srivastava, Professor Sukalyan Moitra and Dr. Abhay Kumar Sinha.
Chairman of the committee Dr. C Prasad told to the Pioneer that all courses in the university will run now as per semester system because as per the guidelines of UGC it is going to be essential for every university. In the first meeting we discussed upon the mode of introducing semester system and in next meetings we will look into the other aspects of this issue.
Semester system is already in use in Vinoba Bhave University. The post-graduate courses are running as per semester system. During two year PG course a student needs to appear in four semester exams and besides this he has to undergo monthly-bimonthly internal departmental assessment exams. After successfully passing in all these exams a student gets the division and rank.
Currently at UG level one exam is taken in every part of three year degree course. No internal exam is taken either by the colleges or departments for individual assessment of the students. On the basis of results of all three parts finally the degree, division and rank are given. In this system teachers evaluate the students on the basis of answers they have given in their final exam copies. There is no scope of giving marks on overall performance in classroom and in extra-curricular activities.
After introduction of semester system at UG level the university administration will have to take 6 exams in place of 3 exams which it takes annually. In every exam 20 marks will remain reserved for the department/teacher who will give it on the basis of their assessment. It will certainly improve the attendance percentage in the colleges. Besides this there are other advantages of semester system will benefit the colleges and students.
The major hurdle in the path of semester system is delay in taking examinations. Due to this the sessions are going late even today when only three exams are taken. The well-wishers of this system are seriously engaged in making out a solution of this problem.