The vice-chancellor of Rabindra Bharati University has written to the higher education department that a move to club two semester exams into one could burden many students.

Last week, the higher education department had asked vice-chancellors if second/ fourth semester exams (end-semester) at the undergraduate level could be taken along with the third/fifth semester exams.

“It is imperative to remember that the teaching-learning process in the annual pattern and choice-based credit system (CBCS)-based semester pattern is fundamentally different,” VC Sabyasachi Basu Raychaudhuri has written.

“Clubbing of semester examinations will also impose a burden on students which most of them will be unable to cope with. Of course, there can be rescheduling of non-end semesters, ensuring minimum loss of academic time”.

The proposal was floated in a videoconferenceon April 14 between education minister Partha Chatterejee and on undergraduate and postgraduate exams in the wake of the lockdown that has resulted in the shutdown of campuses till June 10.

The end-semester exams for first-year and second-year students, scheduled for May-June, cannot be held because of the prevailing situation.

It was proposed that the second/fourth semester exams be held with the third/fifth semester exams scheduled for December-January, to make up for lost time, a higher education department official said. “If the exams can be clubbed, we plan to keep a fortnight's gap between two semester exams,” said the official.

VC Basu Raychaudhuri told Metro on Monday that all students were “not of equal merit”. “I feel a large section of students will be inconvenienced. I have suggested a few alternatives.”

If that happens, three or a maximum of four more weeks may be allowed for classes and the semester-end exams can be held in July-August to ensure results are published by August-September, according to his letter.

He told Metro that if this could be made possible, the non-end semester exams could be held on time without burdening students.

In his letter he has said the non-end semesters exams can be rescheduled if Puja vacation is curtailed and classes are held on Saturdays. “The exam format can be modified to suit the interests of students and be in tune with the requirements of particular universities.”

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had on April 15 announced that universities would have to conduct the last semester exams of final-year students (postgraduate as well as undergraduate). The dates would be decided later.

Basu Raychaudhuri has proposed that the next academic session start from September 2020. “We may be able to adjust future academic sessions with a little more effort on our part. In fact, many leading institutions across the world are planning to do so.”

All colleges and universities are likely to reopen by mid-June if the situation improves, he said.

The Plus-II board exams cannot be held before June 10 this year; so, it will be sensible to start the session from September, he said.