All colleges and universities of Punjab, except those under the Department of Medical Education and Research and Health, are set to promote its students on the basis of their previous years’ performance.
Besides, the students, who wanted to improve their grades or marks, could avail the option of taking the fresh examination as and when the COVID crisis is over and exams would be held.
The formal orders, issued by the Director of Public Instructions (Colleges) to the Vice-Chancellors of all Government and Private Universities regarding conduct of examinations in government or private universities and all colleges, were issued a day after the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had announced the cancellation of university and college examinations in the state in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Capt Amarinder, in his weekly #AskCaptain Facebook Live session, had stated that the Universities and colleges were in the process of working out the modalities for implementing the decision which would be announced in the next few days.
At the same time, he had also maintained that the exams, currently being conducted online by some universities, would continue uninterrupted. As per the guidelines issued on Sunday, all the students in terminal or exit classes or semesters will be awarded degrees or diplomas provided their average grades, marks or CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) on the basis of previous exams or semesters, are over and above the minimum pass grades, marks or CGPA (as per norms or regulations of the individual university).
At the same time, the students of exit or intermediate classes will also be given the option to take exams as and when they are held to improve their grades, if they desire to do so .
The guidelines maintained that all the students in intermediate classes will be promoted to the next class or semester or year. But all those students scoring average grades, marks or CGPA, less than the minimum pass figure, will have to clear the exams of that semester as and when they are held to be eligible for award of degree.
The DPI (C) has directed all the universities of the state, government and private, to follow the government’s guidelines about conduct of examinations at their campuses and in the colleges affiliated to them in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Each university shall work out on its own the norms or policy regarding award of degree or promotion of students keeping in mind the guidelines and their own rules and regulations,” it added.
The universities which are in the process of conducting online exams have been directed to continue with the same with the permission of the state Higher Education Department.It has also been clarified that the guidelines are “not applicable” to the institutions under Department of Medical Education and Research and Health.
BFUHS TO CONDUCT EXAMS TO FILL 4000 POSTS
Punjab Government on Sunday gave a go-ahead to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, to conduct the “already-notified” exams for more than 4000 sanctioned posts of doctors and paramedical staff amidst the COVID-19 epidemic. As per the office order issued by the state Research and Medical Education director, the University Vice-Chancellor has been authorized to conduct the examination “in the overall interest of the State, and for containing and fighting COVID-19 in Punjab”, taking in view all the government guidelines.
“The Vice-Chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, shall conduct the examinations as already notified, following the guidelines and necessary precautions issued by the Central Government and the State Government from time to time, in this regard,” read the order.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government had recently sanctioned more than 4000 posts of doctors and paramedical staff including technicians, staff nurses, pharmacists, ophthalmic officers, medical or psychiatric social workers, operation theater assistants, diet supervisors, among others.
The responsibility of recruiting medical and paramedical staff has been given to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, and the University is holding the examinations for recruitment to these posts.
As the University has already notified the schedule of examinations of various courses related to graduation and post-graduation of various courses related to health sciences, the Vice-Chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur had sought Government’s go ahead to conduct these exams at the earliest.
At the same time, the state’s Directorate of Research and Medical Education has also made it clear that the orders would be “subject to the outcome of the writ petition(s), if any, pending before any court of law”.
Notably, the BFUHS’s decision to conduct BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) examination has been challenged by the Dental Surgeons Association of India demanding that exams should not be held.
The matter is scheduled to be taken up for hearing on July 6 (Monday) — a day before exam is scheduled to be held.