Uncertainty looms over the future of students looking to enrol in undergraduate programmes in universities across the city as they have not yet completed their board examinations due to COVID-19 lockdown and the admission season is fast approaching.
In a meeting with Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal and Education Ministers from other States, Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said that it would not be possible to conduct pending board exams for Classes X and XII, and suggested that the students be evaluated on their performance in internal exams. “It may not be feasible to conduct the remaining exams for Classes X and XII even in May-June. Having exams thereafter will delay the next academic cycle heavily,” Mr. Sisodia said.
He appealed to Mr. Pokhriyal to direct the Central Board of Secondary Education to evaluate Class X and XII students on their internal exams scores, as was proposed for Classes IX and XI.
UGC recommendations
The University Grants Commission has recommended that the academic session 2020-21 commence from September 1 and the admission process be carried out between August 1 and 31. If the necessity arises, provisional admission may be allowed and the last date for submission of documents for qualifying examination be set as September 30.
Last year, Delhi University, which sees the bulk of applications for undergraduate courses, had started the admission process on May 30. This year, it has not issued any notification on the admissions yet. Jawaharlal Nehru University will close the registration for admissions on April 30 and is scheduled to conduct the entrance examination in mid-May.
Mr. Sisodia also proposed reduction of syllabus by 30% in all classes for 2020-21. He requested the MHRD to provide Doordarshan and AIR slots to the Delhi government to broadcast classes. “I would request you to give us separate slots for elementary, secondary and senior secondary education. If you grant us the slots, we will have our teachers on board to conduct the classes as per our lesson plan,” he said.
