'"Life-changing" clearly denotes an exceptionally high level of regard for Narendra D Modi.' 'One has to find out if the UGC used such an adulatory term for any other speaker, whether from politics or from academe,' says Amulya Ganguli.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked vice chancellors of varsities across the country to 'encourage' students to take an online voluntary national-level exam to test their knowledge on 'gau vigyan' (cow science).
Following a six-day schedule, reducing class size, setting up isolation facilities on campus, and COVID-19 screening of students, faculty and staff are among the guidelines announced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for reopening of universities and colleges closed since March in view of the pandemic.
Brushing aside the resistance of Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh who enacted a resignation drama, the University Grants Commission on Tuesday hardened its stand and directed scrapping of the controversial four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) and implementation of the old three-year course.
The counselling session was likely to begin in the first week of July. However, the counselling authorities had not notified any date or schedule.
The new guidelines can act as a deterrent for students who have for years been unfairly reaping the benefits of the 'Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V' method of research.
The credibility of the examination system has also come under question, they said.
'The NEET-PG is the only exam for admission to MD, MS and PG Diploma courses.' 'Many doctors take time off from work to prepare for it, while others study during their long hospital shifts.'
Detailing the guidelines for examinations and academic calendar for the universities in view of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the commission said the exams for final semester students be conducted in July. The varsities may decide whether to conduct exams online or offline keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring fair opportunity to all students.
With the Delhi University still on a defiant path, the University Grants Commission on Wednesday night gave a fresh ultimatum to it to begin the admission process for the undergraduate classes dumping the controversial four-year course.
Amid a row over irregularities in competitive exams National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) and National Eligibility Test (NET), the education ministry on Saturday notified a seven-member panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through the National Testing Agency (NTA).
After being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Trump started his inaugural address with a sentence that echoed Modi's coinage some years ago, notes Modi biographer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Congress leader Ajoy Kumar alleged the Centre gambled with these competitive examinations by asking the NTA to conduct those.
Such private universities are empowered to award general degree programmes without the specific approval of the UGC, the official said.
With the new academic session about to begin, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked all universities to take steps against ragging such as specifying the number of cases in the previous sessions and the punishments awarded in the brochures and prospectus.
Ravi's move, the first after the meeting between Stalin and him following a recent suggestion of the Supreme Court to resolve their differences, came with a rider.
The selected students (20 seats are available) will undergo coursework followed by research leading to a doctoral thesis under the mentorship of a faculty.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to intervene in the University Grants Commission-Delhi University row over the four-year undergraduate programme and directed a DU professor who challenged the commission's direction for scrapping the course to approach the Delhi high court.
After radioactive material was sold as scrap by the Delhi University, leading to the death of a labourer, Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday directed the University Grant Commission to frame guidelines immediately on the procurement, use and disposal of hazardous substances by varsities. The Department of Atomic Energy has framed certain guidelines which are supposed to be followed by the universities for procurement and handling of such material.
The students, camping outside the UGC office since Wednesday demanding revocation of the move, alleged they were lathi-charged and about 100 of them detained when they tried to go inside to meet the officials.
The guidelines have been prepared in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that has envisioned that top universities in the world will be facilitated to operate in India.
The Congress's student and youth wings took to the streets in the national capital on Thursday over alleged irregularities in the conduct of the NEET-UG and UGC-NET exams, with NSUI members forcefully entering the NTA headquarters and locking its office, and the IYC staging a huge protest at Jantar Mantar.
Ignoring UGC's directive to start the admission process for undergraduate courses Thursday morning, Delhi University on threw the ball back in the Commission's court by sending it a proposal suggested by academicians to resolve the issue.
Under attack from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and political parties in the state, the University Grants Commission has decided to withdraw its controversial circular directing universities to teach Hindi as one of the primary languages in undergraduate courses.
The Centre on Monday made public the rules under the recently-notified anti-paper leak law, mandating the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) to prepare norms, standards and guidelines for the computer-based tests among others.
The fight over FYUP is between a highly controversial decision taken during the United Progressive Alliance rule and how the National Democratic Alliance government perceives it and how it is determined to resolve it in its own way, reports Sheela Bhatt.
The Centre on Saturday night announced that the probe into alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET will be handed over to the CBI for a comprehensive investigation.
The Commission has desired to incorporate Aadhaar-based fingerprint authentication (else digital fingerprint capturing) and facial recognition of candidates, scanning of QR Code of e-admit cards and monitoring through live AI-based CCTV video surveillance, it said.
The National Testing Agency, under fire over the lapses in the conduct of NEET and UGC-NET, is gearing up to conduct on Sunday a retest for the medical entrance exam for 1,563 candidates who were earlier awarded grace marks to make up for the loss of time at six centres.
What stood out in his 15-year journey as a member of the political executive at the Centre was his glowing record as India's most successful and effective finance minister. Both as prime minister and finance minister, he understood the importance of gradualism, except when the economy or the polity was in a crisis.
Karnataka has the highest number of medical seats in the country at 11,745, of which 3,750 seats were in government institutions and 7,995 seats were in private colleges.
Now students may be able to pursue courses in segments in universities as per their preferences if the recommendations of a UGC committee on academic reforms are accepted by the institutions.
Pradhan further said the opposition had a chance to raise this issue during the motion of thanks to the President's address and asserted the government was ready for any type of discussion.
Murmu's address to the joint sitting of Parliament will also be the first after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha.
The CCB scholarship amount ranges between Rs 60,000 to Rs 2,50,000 per annum, depending on the course and its duration.
Government will move the Supreme Court to challenge stay orders of High Courts in some states on an UGC direction to all deemed universities that they should not call themselves as universities.
The notification of the Act comes just a day after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was asked when the legislation would be implemented. The minister had said the law ministry was framing the rules.
Yadvendu claimed that he demanded Rs 40 lakh from each aspirant, including his nephew Anurag Yadav, for providing the leaked question paper on May 4, a day before the exam.
Stepping up pressure, the University Grants Commission on Saturday asked the Delhi University to scrap the four-year undergraduate programme even as the DU Vice Chancellor is understood to have cautioned against taking any step "in a hurry".
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday administered oath to BJP MP B Mahtab as 'speaker pro-tem' of the newly-constituted 18th Lok Sabha.
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