Maharashtra final-year exams cancellation: Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at loggerheads with CM Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari (Image: Twitter/@BSKoshyari)

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressing concerns about the cancellation of the final year examinations.

On May 31, Thackeray had announced that all final-year students across colleges and universities can be passed by aggregate marks based on previous semester performances of the candidates.

In a letter to CM, the Governor has stated that cancellation of examinations would jeopardize the future of students.

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— Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) June 2, 2020

"Decision of holding final year examinations shall be taken in consonance with the Maharashtra Public Universities Act," said the governor in his letter.

As per this 2016 Act, the Board of Examinations and Evaluation is be the authority to deal with all matters relating to examinations and evaluation in the state. This board is composed of vice chancellor, director of higher education in the state as well as industry experts and relevant professors. Whether it is cancellation of examinations or the system to be used to conduct examinations, this board takes a final decision for all, be it autonomous colleges, institutions, university departments and university institutions.

Thackeray had stated on May 31 that the decision to cancel examinations was taken after a meeting with vice chancellors. He added that considering the COVID-19 situation in the state, it would be tough to hold examinations.

This is not the first time that the governor and CM have sparred. In May 2020, Koshyari wrote to Thackeray seeking a de-linking of the Raj Bhavan from the CM-led General Administrative Department. Governor Koshyari wants it to be an independent institution and does not want it to be under Thackeray.

Also read: How will cancellation of final exams impact students?

However, the chief minister had also clarified that students who had a grievance with the aggregate marking system would be given a chance to appear for examinations at a later date in September or October.

Education is on the concurrent list, meaning both the Centre and the states have power on matters pertaining to it. However, for awarding degrees, the University Grants Commission has the final say. The union human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank reiterated on May 28 that final examinations for all students across the country will have to be held despite COVID-19 and that it is not feasible to cancel it. However, he said that the government bodies are looking into use of technology to conduct the examinations with minimal disruptions.

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