: Students of the fourth and sixth semester undergraduate courses at colleges affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University will miss over 20 working days out of the total 90 mandatory for a semester, with the authorities deciding to hold the examinations on March 16 and 13 respectively.
Faculty members in affiliated colleges pointed out that fourth semester students under the choice-based credit and semester scheme will get only 73 days, including the five examination days, against the mandatory 90 days. Students appearing for the sixth semester examination on March 13 will get only 74 days including the five days on which the examinations will be held.
As per the University rules, each semester should consist a minimum of 450 contact hours distributed over 90 working days, inclusive of examination days, within 18 five-day academic weeks.
Teachers pointed out that the decision by the varsity authorities to suspend undergraduate classes in its affiliated colleges for 10 days in November to conduct the centralised valuation camps was the main reason for the gap in the mandatory working days. The varsity had received flak for suspending undergraduate classes from November 17 to 29 to hold the valuation camps. The remaining days were lost in strikes held on the campus.
Faculty members admitted that they would not be able to complete the portions going by the present schedule of the fourth and sixth semester examinations. They have to also hold two internal examinations for the sixth semester students being evaluated as per the scheme that existed before the varsity implemented the B. Hridayakumari report on the choice-based credit and semester scheme.
Prof. N. Jayakumar, syndicate member and convener of examination committee, said that a delay in the examination schedule will cost dear to the students, as it could then be held only in June after the April-May summer vacation. “We wanted to streamline the entire conduct of examination and publication of results by May. Teachers in various colleges are taking extra classes to complete the portions,” he said.
Students will miss over 20 working days out of the total 90 mandatory for a semester.
