Concern over Calcutta University PG semester exam dates – Times of India

Kolkata News

KOLKATA: The Calcutta University Teachers Association has written to vice-chancellor Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee expressing their concern after an email from the pro vice-chancellor (academic) to the heads of departments indicated the examinations for the first and third semesters of the post-graduation programs will have to be completed between March 8 and 26.
Several college principals, who run PG departments, are also gearing up to make representations before the VC, requesting her to allow some time to finish the prescribed syllabus, which is otherwise impossible if the exams are held on time.

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The apprehensions are not unfounded. It will be a tough job this year, sticking to the academic calendar while also ensuring students actually learn beyond what is necessary to pass an exam.

“While it is entirely possible to hold the third-semester examinations for all the faculties, except technology faculty for the third semester, the same cannot be said about the first semester. Classes for the first semester started on December 16 and the admissions are still going on. As per the UGC guideline that was referred by the university while instructing the departments to hold examinations during the stipulated time, the admissions were supposed to be over and classes were to start from November 1, which gave a clear four months for holding classes. But in Bengal, the classes started more than one and half months later,” said a teacher of CU.
Parthiba Basu, president of CUTA added that holding examinations for the first semester in March leaves barely over two months to hold classes and will certainly compromise the teaching-learning process as a significant portion of the syllabus may have to be left untouched. “We requested the CU officials in the letter to reconsider the dateline and extend the duration of the semester by at least one more month before the examinations are held. However, after meeting the vice chancellor, she informed us about university’s compulsions about holding the examinations on the stipulated dates,” Basu said.
CU authorities, however, informed that the dates for holding the examinations will remain unaltered. “The UGC has the mandate to organize examinations within a stipulated date. It is not possible to alter them since there may be a problem later. We have informed the departments to make arrangements,” said a senior CU official. He added that individual HODs have been asked to take up the matter with their board of studies. “The PG departments have autonomy. They will decide if the syllabus can be curtailed. The faculty understands which topics are conceptual and hence must be taught. Moreover, to have additional time, the classes can be held virtually even on the weekends,” he added.
Even the colleges, which run the PG departments, plan to approach CU. “We have vacant seats and the admission is ongoing. The reserved seats are now in the process of being converted into general category ones. Unless the seats are filled up, we will not be in a position to finish the syllabus within March 8. We will hold a meeting of all department heads and decide if a letter, requesting the university to defer examinations can be sent to the VC,” informed the principal of a college.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/concern-over-calcutta-university-pg-semester-exam-dates/articleshow/80264407.cms