University Grants Commission (UGC) will be releasing new guidelines for the university and college examinations soon, reports Times of India. The Commission had released guidelines in the month of May in which it had asked universities and colleges to conduct examinations only for the final year or final semester students and to promote the remaining students based on past performance.

The need for revised guidelines was prompted after various institutions with student population running into lakhs expressed their inability to conduct examinations, adds the report.

AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe said to TOI that a revision in the earlier guidelines will be released keeping in mind the COVID-19 situation in various states. He also said that these guidelines will be made after consulting various professional bodies like AICTE, Bar Council of India, Architecture Council, Pharmacy Council, among others, adds the report.

On May 29, the Commission had issued a detailed guideline for examination and admission for the next academic session. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal had conveyed that exams will be conducted only for final year students, and first and second year students will be promoted without an exam.

The minister had added that the final year exam is slated to be conducted in July. However, if the COVID-19 does not improve before that, new dates for the exams will be announced.

At least four states - Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana - have already cancelled all the university and college exams in their state including the final year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students have flooded the social media requesting the government to cancel all the exams or to postpone them.