The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a new academic calendar for first-year undergraduate and postgraduate students. According to the revised calendar, classes for the fresh year will commence from November 1 while the admission process is to be completed by the end of October.
The delay will spill over to the next academic year as well with the commencement of classes slotted for the end of August in 2021. Earlier, the UGC had said that classes for the academic year 2020-21 will begin from September but were delayed due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the country.
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ made the announcement on Twitter. “In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has accepted the Report of the Committee and approved the UGC Guidelines on Academic Calendar for the First Year of Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Students of the Universities for the Session 2020-21,” he said.
The following calendar has been suggested for the academic session 2020-2021:
Admission Process (To be completed) 31.10.2020
Commencement of Classes of students: Fresh batch (First Semester/Year) 01.11.2020
Preparatory Break 01.03.2021 to 07.03.2021
Conduct of Examinations 08.03.2021 to 26.03.2021
Semester Break 27.03.2021 to 04.04.2021
Commencement of Classes for Even Semester: 5.04.2021
Preparatory Break: 01.08.2021 to 08.08.2021
Conduct of Examinations: 09.08.2021 to 21.08.2021
Semester Break: 22.08.2021 to 29.08.2021
Commencement of Next Academic Session for this Batch: 30.08.2021
The Education Minister also also announced a full fees refund on account of cancellation of admission or migration of students till the end of November 2020. He wrote, “To avoid financial hardship being faced by the parents due to lockdown and related factors, a full refund of fees will be made on account of all cancellation of admissions/ migration of students, up to 30.11.2020, for this very session as a special case.”
To avoid financial hardship being faced by the parents due to lockdown and related factors, a full refund of fees will be made on account of all cancellation of admissions/ migration of students, up to 30.11.2020, for this very session as a special case.#UGCGuidelines
— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) September 22, 2020
The first-year students can begin their year through online classes if the Ministry of Home Affairs does not take a decision about the physical opening of schools and colleges by November. The UGC has said that the universities may plan and start the academic session by November 18, 2020 and the teaching learning process may continue in offline/online/blended mode.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education to release the results of compartment exams at the earliest and also asked them to coordinate with the UGC to enable around two-lakh students passing out in these exams to apply to colleges for the current academic year. The CBSE began conducting compartment exams for students of Classes 10 and 12 from Tuesday, which will end on September 28 for Class 10 and September 29 for Class 12.