Coronavirus scare: Calcutta University, Presidency University defer exams, others may follow suit – Times of India

KOLKATA: Calcutta University has rescheduled its undergraduate and postgraduate examinations scheduled in the first week of April owing to the novel coronavirus crisis.The new dates will be announced when colleges and universities reopen after April 15. More than 70,000 students are pursuing UG and PG in over 165 colleges affiliated to CU.
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“It was decided after a meeting on Thursday that both UG and PG examinations will be rescheduled in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have not declared the new dates as we are not sure how the situation would be then. If there are orders to keep colleges and universities shut even after April 15, we will have to postpone the examinations further,” said a CU official.
While the theory examinations were due to start in the first week of April, the practicals are already under way. However, several batches could not take the practical examinations. “For convenience of conducting the examinations and limited space in laboratories, we divide the class into small batches. While some students completed their practical examinations, others could not as the college was shut down to avoid any possibility of virus outbreak,” said the principal of a south Kolkata college.
University officials said they would try their best to ensure timely admission to the UG departments in the next academic session. “We will also provide assistance to students taking examinations,” he said. “The university may also decide to hold classes on Saturdays to make up for the lost time,” said a source.
Presidency University has decided to postpone the semester by a month. However, any change in the decision regarding reopening of educational institutions may again alter the plans. Vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia on Thursday said: “We were to complete our semester by April and then start with the examinations. However, now we will finish the classes by May and then the examinations will be conducted by June.” Rabindra Bharati University, on the other hand, has decided to wait and watch. “We shall take a call depending on the situation and government directives,” said VC Sabyasachi Basu Roychaudhuri. Jadavpur University is also likely to push back the semester examinations. “We shall hold a meeting to take a call,” said a senior JU official.