JNU V-C welcomes decision to cancel Boards: ‘System capable of meeting these challenges’

Asserting that the JNU will continue to hold admissions to its undergraduate courses through entrance exams as earlier

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Advocate Ashok Agarwal, representing the petitioner, said he was only seeking a fair allocation of seats to non-JRF category candidates.

Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar Wednesday welcomed the Union government’s decision to cancel the class XII CBSE Board exams. Asserting that the JNU will continue to hold admissions to its undergraduate courses through entrance exams as earlier, Kumar said universities that hold admissions based on class XII marks could devise “appropriate procedures” which are “fair and transparent”.

“The decision taken with regard to XII standard exams is pragmatic and rational considering the fact that this Covid pandemic is a once in a century occurrence. The health and safety of students are of paramount importance. In most higher educational institutes such as JNU, admission into undergraduate programs is through an entrance examination. We will conduct the entrance examination whenever it is safe for the students to write. If the entrance is delayed due to the pandemic situation and if the admission of the students happens at a later date than usual, we will surely adjust our academic calendar to take care of the lost time without compromising the academic rigour,” he said.

“In HEIs, where the undergraduate admission is based on XII standard marks, universities can devise appropriate procedures for admission which are fair and transparent. We need to find optimal solutions rather than feel anxious about the challenges faced due to the Covid pandemic. Our Indian educational system is capable of meeting these challenges,” said Kumar.

Delhi University, which conducts its UG admissions based on cut-offs determined by class XII marks, has said it will follow the CBSE “merit” criterion to release its cut-offs.

DU had earlier submitted a proposal to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to hold admissions for this year by giving a 50 per cent weightage to Class XII marks and 50 per cent weightage to the CUCET (Central Universities Common Entrance Test), if it is held.

However, DU’s admissions chairperson Rajeev Gupta told The Indian Express, “We are committed to CUCET as and when it happens.”

“The problem there too is that national-level examinations have to take place. Nobody can answer how the situation will be in various cities and whether this exam can be held. In the larger interest of students, this is the best possible option (to go by CBSE formula),” he added.

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