CANCEL Final Year Exam, Evaluate on Past Performance: DU, JNU, Mumbai University teachers to UGC

Teachers from Delhi University (DU), Mumbai University (MU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) among others drafted a letter to UGC Chairman regarding cancellation of exams and evaluation of students on previous performance. 

University Grants Commission, UGC released it revised guidelines allowing the varsities to conduct final-year exams across the country in September. However, UGC Revised Guidelines 2020 are facing criticism by many educationists and students who were demanding the cancellation of final year university exams due to the prevailing pandemic situation. Recently teachers from Delhi University (DU), University of Mumbai (MU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) among others drafted a letter to UGC Chairman regarding cancellation of exams and evaluation of students on previous performance. 

The former University Grants Commission Chairman Sukhdeo Thorat along with 27 other teachers from various universities wrote this letter to the current UGC Chairman seeking cancellation of the final year exams and evaluation of students on past performance.

This letter was sent to UGC chairman D P Singh on July 9, 2020, and was signed by professors from DU, JNU, University of Hyderabad (UoH), MU, Tata Institute of Social Sciences and others.

The letter reads, “The UGC’s latest advisory on examinations is unfortunate because it takes us backward rather than forward. It effectively extends the period for holding of exams (for final year/semester cohorts) until September, the second such postponement. And it creates fresh uncertainty for states that had already decided to cancel exams.”

Raising concerns over the conduction of exams amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the letter further reads, “when faced with such an emergency, canceling exams has two main advantages: First, it avoids the extended uncertainty created by repeated (but unavoidable) postponements. Second, it protects the integrity of the examination by refusing to abandon its two most basic features – impartiality, or equal treatment of all examinees; and close supervision to prevent cheating.” The teachers also raised concerns over the open book exams claiming that it plays with the whole system of examination.

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