NO 2nd, 4th Semester Exams For Odisha Plus-III Students

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Tuesday said that the 2nd and 4th semester exams of Plus III students will not be conducted in the State. Similarly, the 2nd semester exam of PG students will also be cancelled.

All the students will be promoted to the next semester as per alternative evaluation criteria of universities, informed the State Higher Education Minister, Arun Sahoo after a meeting with the vice-chancellors on Tuesday.

"2nd and 4th semester of Plus-III students and 4th semester of PG students will not be conducted. Varsities will promote the students by carrying out evaluation through alternative criteria," said Sahoo.

In a first, Odisha has asked students to cover 25 per cent syllabus of Plus-III and PG courses through ‘self-study materials’. "It's a time-bound initiative and the same has been recommended in line with UGC guidelines," he said.

[caption id="attachment_439401" align="aligncenter" width="650"] Rama Devi Women’s University[/caption]

Students will study the materials while teachers will clear their doubts in tutorial classes, he added.

Earlier, the State government had allowed varsities to resume functioning amid the COVID-19 lockdown with certain stipulations. In a letter to all vice-chancellors (all State public and private universities), the Higher Education Department had asked concerned officials to be prepared to conduct exams, whenever permitted by the government, within short notice.

The department had also categorically directed university officials to ensure that students and public do not face any problems in getting certificates or any other documents that can be issued through electronic mode.

No conference, seminars, workshops, interview, fieldwork and trips are allowed. However, the universities can conduct seminars and conferences in online mode if required, the letter read.