Page 14 - EducationWorld October 2020

Education News

DELHI remain mandatory in that respect,”
Cautious restart say the guidelines, which will be

subject to state regulations related to
the pandemic.
To make up for lost time — the
new academic year should have
begun three months ago — the
guidelines suggest eliminating fes-
tival holidays and vacations so that
this batch of students will get their
final results for the timely award of
degrees in August next year. It also
directs higher education institutions
(HEIs) a six-days per week sched-
ule for this and the next (2021-22)
academic years.
With a large number of India’s
52,000 colleges and 1,000 universi-
ties sited in the country’s ill-planned
metros where land is scarce and
expensive, HEI campuses tend to
Undergrad students in Mumbai: prolonged homestay learning ennui be crowded and cramped. There-
fore sanitation, hygiene and social
he academic year for higher drawn up by an expert committee distancing are challenging proposi-
education institutions which constituted in April this year. The tions. In the circumstances, HEI
Tshould have begun in July/ committee presented its first set managements are advised to tie up
August is scheduled to begin from of guidelines on April 29, which with hospitals and clinics in their
November 1 this year, according were revised on July 6. Though the neighbourhood for testing and other
to latest UGC guidelines issued on number of Covid positive cases is processes. However, the successful
September 22. The two national still rising as are fatalities, the five conduct of IIT-JEE and NEET public
higher education regulators — Uni- unlocks announced by the Union examinations has inspired college
versity Grants Commission (UGC) home ministry have steadily opened and university managements, giving
and All India Council for Technical up economic and livelihood activi- them confidence that they will be
Education (AICTE) — have directed ties. However, education institutions able to cope when they reopen cam-
all universities and colleges in India are among the last being cautiously puses on November 1.
to adopt and implement a new set unlocked. “The detailed UGC guidelines for
of guidelines for first year under- Under the latest (September 22) resumption of lectures and classes
graduate and postgrad programmes guidelines, admission into first year are welcome. In addition, we have
including completion of the admis- study programmes for 2020-21 designed our own system to ensure
sion process by the end of this month have to be completed by October 31. continuous learning for our students
(October). It’s pertinent to note that Subsequently, the last date to fill up without compromising their health
India has the world’s third largest remaining vacant seats is Novem- and safety. Since April, we have been
higher education system with over ber 30. Classes for fresh batches of holding online classes and conduct-
1,000 universities and 52,000 col- undergrad and postgrad students ing exams on schedule. Once the
leges with an aggregate enrolment will begin from November 1, and new academic year classes begin,
of 37.4 million students (2019). It semester exams will be held between we will offer a blend of online and
has been shuttered since mid-March March 8-26, 2021. The second se- classroom interaction combined
because of the Covid-19 pandemic mester will begin in the first week of with flexible attendance schedules
outbreak. April (2021) and exams held between which will safeguard students,” says
The revised UGC Guidelines on August 9-21. The next academic year Aditya Berlia, co-founder and pro-
Academic Calendar for the First will begin end-August. chancellor of the privately promoted
Year of Under-Graduate and Post- “The modes of teaching, conduct Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon
Graduate Students of the Universi- of examinations, importance of (estb.2010).
ties for the Session 2020-21 in view physical and social distancing etc, The firm and unambiguous UGC/
of Covid-19 Pandemic has been shall remain unchanged and shall AICTE guidelines on restarting

14 EDUCATIONWORLD OCTOBER 2020