We've decided to cancel all Delhi state universities' exams: Delhi govt

New Delhi: Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday announced all examinations, including final exams, to be conducted in university’s under the city-state’s government stand cancelled in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. The minister added that degrees will be awarded to students on the basis of evaluation parameters decided by the universities.

“In light of the major disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Delhi govt has decided to cancel all Delhi state university exams including final exams,” Sisodia tweeted. The move will apply to semester as well as terminal exams at various state universities across Delhi.

In light of the major disruptions caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Delhi govt has decided to cancel all Delhi state university exams including final exams https://t.co/g4SFLqaBQK

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) July 11, 2020

During a press briefing, Sisodia - who also handles Delhi’s education ministry - said that schools and colleges have been shut throughout amid the Covid-19 crisis.

“For schools in Delhi, we had decided not to conduct examinations for classes 9th and 11th and promote them based on other evaluation parameters,” Sisodia stated.

“We requested the Central government to follow the same pattern for the CBSE board exams in the national capital and it is finally happening,” he added.

The minister added that while the matter with schools was sorted, universities posed another challenge as this entire semester no practicals, field or lab research could be carried out.

“Keeping this mind, the Delhi government believes there is no point conducting university examination for a semester where no studies took place,” he said.

The education minister added that students who already have job offers need to get their degrees to start working and support their families at the time of an economic crisis created by the pandemic.

“Extraordinary times like these call for extraordinary measures,” Sisodia said quoting chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi has several state universities such as Ambedkar University, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi Technological University, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW), National Law University Delhi, among others.

This comes after the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday announced that universities must conduct exams for final-year students by September. Sisodia said that the government was planning to approach the Centre on the matter.

“Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will write a letter to the Prime Minister requesting him to cancel exams for students across all central universities as well,” he said.