Semester system for first year students in degree colleges and other professional courses may be done away with this year given the uncertainty over the start of academic schedule due to COVID-19.
Officials in the Education Department revealed that dilemma over the delay in academic schedule is one of the reasons why the universities are keen on going ahead with the old annual academic system at least for this year. The consensus emerged after a series of meetings to discuss the restart of academic year and safety issues to be tackled.
However, the varsities have to take the final decision seeking approval to the changes in their academic and administrative bodies. “There seems to be no other option but to cancel semester system for the first year students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels,” a senior official revealed, seeking anonymity.
Officials say as per the present calendar, degree and post graduate courses start by June and the next semester begins in December. But due to the pandemic, there is no clarity as to when the classes would begin, throwing the entire schedule out of gear. The government has already taken a decision to promote the first and second year students to higher classes irrespective of their backlogs to give them some breathing space.
With regard to technical courses, first year engineering course is already annual exam-based as the classes usually begin in August after a prolonged admission process. From second year, however, the course shifts to semester mode.
Officials are now in touch with the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to understand if the present second and third year students can be shifted to the annual mode for this year as the classes will invariably be delayed. All technical courses have to function as per AICTE norms and the council’s nod is mandatory for any changes.
Telangana State Council of Higher Education is calling for a meeting of engineering colleges in the first week of June to work out the modalities of the changes it proposes, keeping in view norms of social distancing.
Krishna Rao of Stanley Engineering College opined irrespective of the changes, colleges are getting ready to adopt the new normal of maintaining physical distancing in classes. He proposes a blend of online and classroom teaching though it would double the work for teachers.
