UGC New Academic Calendar 2020-21 PDF November Download Check Exam Guidelines

Download UGC New Academic Calendar 2020-21 PDF, UGC Revised Guidelines On Semester Exams November – The University Grants Commission (UGC), which is the higher education regulator announced the annual examination details along with a new academic calendar for all the universities and affiliated colleges. In the name of the COVID- 19 pandemic lockdown, the University Grants Commission makes some recommendations on the issues of Examinations and the Academic Calendar. To avoid academic loss and for taking the appropriate measures, the UGC constituted this. In this meeting, the Expert Committee interacted with all stakeholders like Vice-Chancellors of the universities, Principals of the colleges. All of them submitted their Reports to the UGC through the email, phone, WhatsApp, online meetings, etc.

Latest Update: The University Grants Commission (UGC ) Released a recent update on UGC Guidelines for the first-year students. For all the first-year Students, the pending University/college exams are made mandatory. These exams would be planned to conduct in the month of November 2020 by the universities and higher education institutions. All the colleges and universities are currently shut due to the coronavirus lockdown.

UGC New Academic Calendar 2020-21 PDF And Revised Examination Guidelines Below

On the basis of the recommendations of the committee of experts, the Commission has drawn up “Guidelines on examinations and the academic calendar for universities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic Lockdown”. A copy of this document is attached for reference. The UGC guidelines are nature advisory in covering important dimensions related to exams, academic calendar, admissions, online teaching-learning, and offer flexibility for adoption by universities. Universities can adopt and implement these guidelines in a uniform and transparent manner. On the basis of the Report of the Expert Committee guidelines were issued. In the view of the COVID-19 Pandemic, these Examinations Guidelines Revised and the new Academic Calendar also approved in Commission in its emergent meeting.

UGC calendar for academic session 2020-2021

• Admission Process (To be completed) – 31st October 2020
• Commencement of Classes of the above students
• Fresh batch (First Semester/Year) – 1st November 2020
• Preparatory Break – From 1st March 2021 to 7th March 2021
• Conduct of Examinations – From 8th March 2021 to 26th March 2021
• Semester Break – From 27th March 2021 to 4th April 2021
• Commencement of Classes for Even Semester – 5th April 2021
• Preparatory Break – 1st August 2021 to 8th August 2021
• Conduct of Examinations – 9th August 2021 to 21st August 2021
• Semester Break – 22nd August 2021 to 29th August 2021
• Commencement of Next Academic Session for this Batch – 30th August 2021

EXAMINATIONS

• By maintaining the sanctity of academic expectations and the integrity of the examination process, universities can adopt alternative and simplified examination methods and methods to complete the process in a shorter period of time in accordance with CBCS requirements such as prescribed by the UGC from time to time. These can include MCQ / OMR based exams, open-book exam, open choices, assignment/presentation based assessments, etc.
• Universities can adopt efficient and innovative examination methods by reducing the time from 3 hours to 2 hours allocated to each examination, if necessary but without compromising quality, so that the process can be completed in several multiple shifts and, at the same time, the sanctity to assess a student’s performance is also maintained.
• Universities can conduct semester/terminal / intermediate year exams in offline/online mode, in accordance with their ordinances/rules and regulations, Scheme of Examinations, respecting the guidelines of “social distancing” and keeping to mind the support system available with them and ensuring a fair opportunity for all students.
• Semi-annual/annual terminal exams for PG / UG courses/programs can be conducted by universities as advised in the academic calendar keeping in mind the protocols of “social distancing”.
• For semester / intermediate year students, universities can conduct exams, after making a full assessment of their readiness, student residency status, the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in different regions/states, and other factors. In the event that the situation does not seem to be normal with regard to COVID-19, in order to maintain “social distancing”, the safety and health of the students, the student grading could be composed of 50% of marks based on of the internal evaluation scheme adopted by universities and the remaining 50% can be allocated on the basis of the performance of the previous semester only (if available).
• The internal evaluation can be a continuous evaluation, preliminary, a semester, an internal evaluation, or any other name given for the progression of the students. In situations where marks for the previous semester or the previous year are not available, especially in the first year of the annual exam model, a 100% assessment can be made on the basis of internal assessments. If the student wishes to improve the grades, he/she can appear in special exams for these subjects during the following semester. This provision for the interim semester exams only concerns the current academic session (2019-20) in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, while preserving the safety and health of all stakeholders and the sanctity and quality Exams.

In addition to the above, the following actions should be taken:

• The scheme of “Carry forward” (for subjects in which the student has failed) will be authorized for the current academic year in universities and each student will be promoted to the next semester/year. However, these students can pass the exam for the course in which he/she failed/remained absent, each time the exam will take place afterward.
• Students may be allowed to improve their grades by offering an additional opportunity to appear for the current semester course (s) in the following semesters/years or through supplementary exams.

• Examination procedures and other related activities are applied uniformly to all courses at a university.
• Students must be informed well in advance (at least one week) of the conduct of exams and other related activities.
• With regard to the requirement of a minimum percentage of attendance for students/researchers, the lockout period can be considered as “deemed to have been followed” by all students/researchers.
• Universities can adopt appropriate strategies to help UG / PG students to pursue projects/theses, given the current circumstances. Universities may consider assigning projects based on secondary exams/data or software-driven projects to these students, rather than laboratory experiments or field/survey assignments.
• All Universities can take the practice exams and Viva-Voce exams via Skype or other meeting applications, and in the case of intermediate semesters, the practical exams can be taken during the following semesters.

UGC Guidelines on Examinations

• All universities can follow a 6-day week to compensate for the loss for the remaining session of 2019-20 and the next session 2020-21.
• Given the importance of “social distancing“, universities can take the necessary measures to ensure that students are exposed to laboratory work / practical experience via virtual laboratories, sharing of recorded visuals of laboratory work, and digital resources available for this purpose. The link provided by the Ministry of Human Resources Development for virtual laboratories to facilitate students in the science/engineering/technology streams may be suitable for such purposes.
• Each institute should develop a virtual classroom and videoconference facility and all teaching staff should be trained in the use of technology.
• Universities should prepare electronic content / electronic laboratory experiments and upload them to their websites.
• Universities should strengthen the mentor-mentee counseling mechanism through a portal on the university website to provide timely guidance and advice to students. In addition, the educational advisor and the supervisor assigned to each student must maintain regular communication with the students.
• Universities may develop a form to record the travel/stay history of staff and students for the period during which they were absent from the university due to the foreclosure so that the necessary precautions can be taken in specific cases, if necessary. In addition, universities will strictly adhere to all precautions and preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID -19.
• In order to overcome these challenges in the future, faculty should be adequately trained in the use of ICT and online teaching tools, so that they complement about 25% of the curriculum with online teaching and 75% of the program by face-to-face teaching.

Given the current scenario and future uncertainties

• Universities can adopt and implement these guidelines transparently by making modifications/additions/modifications/amendments to deal with a particular situation or situations in the best interest of students, educational institutions and all of the education system,
• If the university experiences difficulty in admitting in accordance with current policy, it may adopt alternative modes of the admission process, if otherwise legally tenable, and
• In the case of educational institutions located in places where the government (center/state) has placed restrictions on the gathering of the public, the institutions can plan accordingly. In any case, the above recommendations should not result in restrictions on directives/directives issued by the government / competent authority.

***** Thank You *****