The state government has requested the University Grants Commission (UGC) to consult it before finalising how universities and colleges can hold the deferred undergraduate and postgraduate exams after the lockdown.
Universities and colleges will have to regularise the postponed exams following a new set of guidelines, which will be issued by the UGC, the commission has recently said.
The state government feels the Centre is attempting to curb its powers in framing its higher education policies by taking such a step, a higher education department official said.
“...As education is on the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India, I would suggest that the report of the expert committee (constituted by the UGC to deliberate on the issues related to examinations and academic calendar) may be sent to all state governments, for suitable feedback within stipulated time period before any decision is taken on the report,” Manish Jain, the education department principal secretary, wrote to the UGC.
“...It may be appreciated that non-consultation with the state governments before taking any decision on the report will be against the spirit of the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution.”
The government suggested the commission send the report of its seven-member expert committee to it before implementing the recommendations of the committee.
The UGC committee is examining the measures that need to be taken to resume the academic activities and examinations of universities and colleges in the country that have taken a hit because of the countrywide lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
In its directive, the UGC had said universities and colleges would have to chalk out a plan of action to hold the postponed exams after getting the commission’s guidelines.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had recently announced that the end-semester (fourth semester) undergraduate and postgraduate exams of universities would not be held this time.
Universities will have to conduct only the last semester exams of final-year students, she had said.
The state higher education department was supposed to issue an order for universities following her announcement so that they could chalk out their plans accordingly.
But, the department cannot do so because of the UGC directive that was issued after the chief minister’s announcement.
“The state government should be given suitable time for consultation with different stakeholders and discussion at the appropriate level in the government for sending their views on the report,” the state government has said in its letter to the UGC.
The end-semester exams were scheduled to start from mid-April and continue till mid-June.