PANJIM: In a major relief to Final Year students, the Goa University (GU) has postponed their offline examination, scheduled from January 14, by three weeks.
The examination will now be conducted from February 7 onwards, reads the circular issued by GU Registrar VS Nadkarni on Thursday.
Nadkarni said it has been decided to postpone all offline examinations of the general and professional programmes scheduled to start on January 14 onwards by three weeks and the same shall be conducted from February 7.
The online examination, as scheduled, will be held for first and second year students.
The varsity had on January 4, issued circular shifting to online mode of examination for all under graduate programmes except for Final Year students. The same was strongly objected by the students.
The students delegation led by National Students Union of India (NSUI) Goa Unit had petitioned various authorities including Governor and Chancellor of University P S Sreedharan Pillai to conduct online exams for Final Year students in view of rising COVID-19 cases in the State.
GU must take holistic approach while conducting exams in offline mode: HC
Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Thursday opined that Goa University should take holistic approach to the COVID-19 pandemic situation while carrying out examinations in offline mode.
Hours later, the varsity ordered postponement of exams by three weeks.
A batch of students and others approached the High Court and brought to the notice that there is an upsurge of COVID-19 infection or the Omicron variant. The petitioners also stated that several doctors are infected in the present pandemic and in such a situation it would be better to be safe then to be sorry subsequently.
“…It would be necessary for the University to take a holistic approach to the pandemic situation and the safety of the students and all others involved in the process of conducting examination,” reads the order by Division Bench of Justice Sadhana Jadhav and Justice Manish Pitale.
During the arguments, the counsel appearing for Goa University submitted that on Thursday the varsity would hold a meeting to deliberate upon the issue of holding of online examination of all streams and revert back to this Court by January 14, 2022.
“We hope that the University would consider the safety of the students and other members of the society before taking the decision,” the Bench said. “The safety of invigilators, staff of the University and others, besides students also needs to be taken into consideration.”
