RTMNU likely to merge Summer, Winter exams
   Date :01-Apr-2020

RTMNU_1  H x W:
 
 
By Ajay Mardikar :
 
The summer examinations of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) are likely to be merged with winter examinations, in view of the lockdown due to spread of coronavirus. Although there are no clear instructions from the Government, Vice-Chancellor Dr S P Kane and Pro-VC Dr Vinayak Deshpande have considered different options.
 
The summer examinations have already been postponed and the examination related works in the university has come to halt. With uncertainty about the period of lockdown and after-effects of spread of the dreaded virus, conducting examinations immediately after the lockdown is withdrawn will not be possible. Dr Kane said that even if the lockdown is withdrawn on April 14, there will be no examination or other activity for the next at least ten days.
 
The students will require time to come back to their respective colleges. The university has considered one option of waiving one semester examination of summer 2020 and award marks based on those scored in other semesters. Only final year or final semester examinations may be conducted. There are 113 such examinations. The decision in this connection is likely to be taken in this week, Dr Vinayak Deshpande stated. Although the functioning of the university has come to halt due to this unprecedented and unforeseen situation, the university authorities are thinking about the future of the students seriously. The term of Dr Kane is due to end on April 7.
 
He will have to hand over the charge to some other person, about which he has not received any communication so far. But the major issue will be of summer examinations and managing the schedule of the next academic session (2020-21). Despite the fact that the University is an autonomous body, many decisions in this situations are difficult to take, without consent of the government, this being a national crisis. Dr Kane said that the functioning of the University is basically committee based. The decisions on several issues cannot be taken unilaterally by the Vice-Chancellor. In the present situation even meetings of these university bodies cannot be convened.
 
The Government has not yet taken decision about university examinations. The examinations of schools upto Std VIII have already been cancelled and the students have been promoted to the next class. Taking such decision about the University examinations is a bit difficult. Dr Kane said that even suggestion of conducting examinations of both the semesters together (Summer and Winter) is under consideration. In this case the students will have to appear for both the examinations together in winter. Conducting two examinations together will also be difficult, looking into the number of examinations and large number of examinees. This will be followed by problems in carrying out valuation and announcing results in time, so that the next academic session is not affected. The situation is such that the University authorities are in ‘Wait and Watch’ mode. The picture will be clear only after April 14.
 
V-C temporarily allowed to stay at official house Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University Vice-Chancellor Dr S P Kane has been temporarily allowed to stay at his official residence, even after his term. Dr Kane’s term will end on April 7. but in view of the lockdown till April 14, he will not be able to shift to his own residence. He sought permission of the Chancellor to allow him to occupy the bungalow so long as the lockdown continues. The Chancellor Bhagatsingh Koshyari has allowed him to stay at the VC’s bungalow in this situation.