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News Desk: Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister has shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra on Saturday seeking his intervention into the row over holding final examinations amidst this current pandemic after Union HRD ministry and UGC have issued guidelines to states asking colleges and universities to compulsorily conduct final year examinations by end of September 2020.
Claiming that she has been “compelled” to take up the matter with the PM after she has received “hundreds of e-mails, from the students and the teaching community raising their concern of holding examinations”.
West Bengal has registered its objection after the fresh guidelines were issued by UGC on July 6, claiming the HRD ministry decision isn’t in the interest of the health concerns of the students amidst this rising Covid-19 numbers across the country. Previously the state education ministry had written to the central government urging reconsideration of the decision. But now Mamata Banerjee herself has stepped into the picture as the state chief administrator and registered her concerns over the issue.
“With the current trend of rise in the COVID-19 cases in the country and considering such unforeseen, uncertain and challenging situation, our government after extensive consultation with all Vice-Chancellors and stakeholders issued an advisory on 27.06.2020 to all state-aided universities/colleges of the state. Our advisory issued in the interest of the health, safety and future of students, provides due weightage to the internal assessment and performance of the candidates in the previous semesters in order to ensure transparency. Besides our advisory has provisions for holding special exams after the situation gets normalised, for such students who wish to appear in a formal examination instead of alternate evaluation method”, wrote Mamata Banerjee in her letter.
She has reminded the Prime Minister that first guideline by UGC issued on April 29, 2020, was ‘suggestive’ in nature unlike the fresh one issued in July that binds every college and university to compulsorily hold exams by September. Underlining the state’s own arrangement and advisory were ‘overwhelmingly appreciated’, the chief minister has once again left enough hint that such an act by HRD ministry could be construed as a breach of the spirit of federalism where a state is not taken into confidence before decisions are arrived at.
“You will kindly appreciate that the students and teaching communities are the assets of our country and the world. We must take proper care of their physical and mental well being. They should not feel upset” wrote Mamata while urging the PM to get the matter re-examined, revoke the present order and facilitate states to implement its decisions.
West Bengal has seen a sharp rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, the spike has forced the state government to enforce strict lockdown restrictions at containment zones across Bengal, the containment zones have been broadened too.
