Gujarat Education Department clarifies that conducting exams is a step towards restoring normalcy

The Gujarat Education Department has stated that the resolution to conduct the exams and begin the admission process for the next academic year was a step towards restoring normalcy in the lives of the students. The department has further added that the decision to begin the admissions and conducting the exams is not to be considered as opening the schools and colleges in the state. The announcement was made by the department after a petition was filed at the Gujarat High Court challenging the physical conduct of the examinations in the colleges. 

The Deputy Secretary Education Department in an affidavit filed before the High Court stated that the petitioner's interpretation of the resolution of the department stating that it mandated the universities to conduct the examinations from June 26, 2020, was not the correct interpretation. 

As per the affidavit, the state has just asked the universities to schedule their examination from June 25, 2020, only for some of the courses while following the central and government-issued guidelines. The universities in the state have however been asked to analyze the local, ground-level situation, availability of hostels, containment zones, the demographic makeup of students, etc following which the decision for conducting the examinations must be taken. The department has also added that taking into consideration the present situation, several universities have postponed the examinations to the month of July 2020. 

Department officials have however stated that the resolution to enable the students to get admissions was passed so that the students could secure admissions to the different courses across the country. 

A subsequent resolution has also been submitted by the department on June 3, 2020, stating that the students who went back to the other states following the lockdown are required to appear for the exams online while the others in the state will be provided with a system enabling the students to appear in the exams in the districts they reside in. 

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