Karnataka universities, colleges to hold final semester exams for UG/PG courses in September

The Karnataka government has decided to hold the final semester examination for undergraduate and post-graduate students in September. The decision is applicable for all final year students pursuing UG, PG, engineering and diploma courses_._ Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, who is also the chancellor of universities, has given his nod for conducting final semester exams, The Hindu quoted Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education Minister CN Ashwath Narayan as saying. The minister informed that the government has arrived at this decision keeping in mind the health concerns of students and after holding consultations with educationists and vice-chancellors of universities. “Online learning introduced during the lockdown has received good response and the government tried its best to reach the last person in the chain,” added the minister. However, in view of the growing cases of COVID-19, the state government has decided against conducting exams for students of intermediate semesters. They will be promoted based on a comprehensive evaluation scheme with internal assessment marks and previous year’s or semester marks considered in a 50:50 ratio. Individual universities will decide the examination schedule for final year students. The step by the Karnataka government has been taken in the wake of the Ministry of Human Resource Development giving its approval to the University Grants Commisison’s decision to hold exams in September. The end-semester papers were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The UGC has issued revised guidelines on holding final semester exams. “The terminal semester will be conducted by the universities by the end of September, 2020 in offline (pen and paper) or online or blended (online + offline) mode,” UGC had said.