Odisha requests UGC to extend deadline for final semester exams of UG and PG students

“This will ensure scheduling of exams with at least one day gap so that exam centers can be sanitized properly,” the state Higher Education Department told the Media.

Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government on Wednesday (September 2) requested the University Grants Commission (UGC) to extend the deadline of September 30 for completion of all Under Graduate and Post-Graduate final semester/year examinations, till October 10.

“This will ensure scheduling of exams with at least one day gap so that exam centers can be sanitized properly,” the state Higher Education Department told ANI.

Earlier on Monday, the Odisha government has decided to complete all the final semester examinations of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in varsities by September 30, and announce results before October 31 as per the UGC guideline. The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of vice-chancellors and principals through video conference.

The meeting reportedly decided to conduct a special examination in December 2020 for those students who cannot take the exams in September due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the back paper exams of final semester students whose results would be declared by October 31.

According to PTI, Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, who has tested positive for COVID-19 is and in-home isolation said the examinations can be held offline/online/blended/multiple-choice/open book/OMR mode according to the UGC guidelines.

Sahoo reportedly said that the universities and autonomous colleges will take their decisions on when to hold examinations.