new proposal will help Mahatma Gandhi University off-load its exam responsibilities and give its hundreds of affiliated colleges the powers to conduct the odd-semester undergraduate varsity examinations for the first time.
The Hindu has reliably learnt that a meeting of the Chairmen of the Boards of Studies to be held on August 7 is likely to green signal the plan. Affiliated aided and un-aided colleges will conduct the varsity examinations and publish the results on their own, if the proposal turns a reality.
Now, the university is solely responsible for holding the exams, arranging centralised valuation camps in select centres and publishing the results. The varsity’s role will be confined to providing the question papers and answer sheets once the proposal gets its final nod.
An internal note on the proposal, which is available with The Hindu , stated that “a cluster of 10 to 20 colleges shall be formed and a committee consisting of senior teachers of each subject shall be constituted to monitor and supervise the conduct of exams and evaluation”.
The practice of collecting examination fee [by the varsity] will continue. The odd-semester (1, 3, 5) undergraduate examinations will be based on multiple choice question, with Optical Mark Reader (OMR) system. Grace marks for the odd semesters will be uploaded by the colleges in the portal.
Confirming the development, N. Jayakumar, Syndicate member in-charge of the examination committee, said the number of colleges in the cluster may be restricted to 15. “A senior faculty member in an aided college will be its Chairman. Examination boards will be also formed within the clusters,” he said.
The varsity move has evoked criticism from various quarters. “It will result in erosion of quality as the managements, especially unaided colleges with lack of qualified staff, will get full powers to conduct examinations, evaluate it using their teachers, and publish the results. The move is to push autonomy through the back door,” said Rajan Varughese, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of the varsity.
A principal of a city college said on anonymity that the cluster proposal may backfire. “The burden on the faculty members and college staff will also go up considerably. We also fear that the colleges will have to bear the additional expenses, as the fee for the examination will be collected by the varsity and not the college,” he said.
