Meghalaya: Govt steadfast on decision to conduct UGC exams in October: Lahkmen Rymbui

Shillong: The Meghalaya government announced that the University Grants Commission (UGC) examinations would be conducted from October 7 to 16th. Education minister Lahkmen Rymbui informed that the decision was taken at a review meeting on Wednesday.

Rymbui said, “two meetings were held with North Eastern Hills University (NEHU) authorities. We came into conclusion that the state government will write to UGC to extend the deadline for conducting the exams of both the UG and PG.”

The dates decided for conducting the exams would be 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th and 16th. The results will be declared by October 31.

Rymbui informed that the mode of exams would be blended, in a manner that it can be both online and offline. “Those students who are not comfortable to appear at the exam centre have the option of appearing online, the NEHU authorities will give the guidelines,” Rymbui said.

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However, the exams for postgraduate students would only be conducted through online mode and not offline.

The government has allowed the students from other districts and states to write an application to the NEHU authorities to be able to appear the exams from their nearest centres.

22,000 students are expected to appear for the undergraduate course, out of which 19,000 are from the state, and 3,000 from outside. Under PG there are about 2,000 students out of which 1,300 students are from the state and 700 from outside.

When asked if the online exams, would be an open book examination? Rymbui replied that he was unable to comment on that since the NEHU authorities will be the ones to decide.

There is a possibility that the students union could oppose the move, but the government seems firm in its decision. Education minister Lahkmen Rymbui says, “I don’t see that, I am steadfast upon the order that to get a degree one must appear for the exams. So I don’t see that any student would want to miss a year.”