The unit of the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET Exam) performs a study on the viability of administering statewide entrance exams. State Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant, who was visiting Pune on Thursday, said a statement in this regard is anticipated within a week.
“…An assessment is underway to see if exams can be conducted at the district level, keeping in mind physical distancing restrictions, or at the taluka level, if the adequate infrastructure is available. A committee headed by Dr Abhay Wagh, director of technical education, and Dr Dhanraj Mane, director of higher education, has been constituted to conduct the survey and submit a report,” he said.
For the CET exam, over 6 lakh applicants have enrolled that assess admissions to 14 technical and professional programs. “It is a major obstacle for us, considering the number of students who have enrolled for the exams,” he said.
If CET exam can not be carried out then entry to professional and technical colleges can also be allowed on the merit of Class XII results, he added. Samant was in Pune to evaluate the upcoming Teachers Training Academy.
Most colleges and hostels have been converted into quarantine centres, and this is another source of concern during exams, he added. The next 7-8 days will be a briefing and a decision would be made shortly, he said. Samant also said due to the Covid-19 situation, the state government has appealed to the court that final year university examinations for non-agricultural colleges can not be held. He said miscommunication regarding the state government’s stand has spread.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has proposed that all institutions hold exams for final year degree students by the end of September. The Supreme Court is actively reviewing a lawsuit on a batch of pleas relevant to administering final year degree examinations. Although the Maharashtra and Delhi government have claimed in an affidavit that the exams can not be carried out, the UGC has requested that the decision not to carry out the final term examination would “directly impact the standards of higher education in the country”. The next hearing is scheduled to take place on 14 August.
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