Parties wrangle over final year University exams

While BJP-backed ABVP is in favour of exams in July, Sena minister Uday Samant wrote to UGC for cancellation, angering the Governor

The final year university exams rescheduled in July have turned into a political wrangle, with parties displaying utmost insensitivity towards lakhs of anxious students across the state.

Last week, the Sena-backed Yuva Sena and BJP-backed Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) played out their rivalries through the offices of the state’s higher and technical education department and Governor BS Koshyari. With Maharashtra emerging as the country’s worst infected state, the Sena wants to cancel the exams. However, ABVP has been pressing the Governor to support holding the exams. On Tuesday, MNS chief Raj Thackeray also jumped into the fray and sought cancellation of exams.

Meanwhile, students have been relentlessly demanding cancellation of exams. There are around eight lakh final-year students, with 1.5 lakh from Mumbai University. The higher and technical education minister Uday Samant has said a final decision will be taken after a review meeting on June 20 based on the Covid situation.

A day after Samant’s announcement on May 8 about holding the exams in July, Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai wrote to UGC requesting cancellation. Under pressure over this demand from his party’s outfit, Samant too wrote to UGC on May 17. On May 21, the ABVP promptly countered with a letter to Koshyari, who obliged by raising objections over Samant’s “unwarranted intervention”.

Observers pointed out that the state’s letter to UGC was redundant as the apex body for higher education had given states the freedom to take their own decision.

Sachin Bansode of student organisation Chatra Bharti said UGC only issued guidelines for the July exams and didn’t mandate anything. “No one is concerned about students. Hostels are shut, students have gone back home and many colleges have been turned into quarantine facilities. All the major universities are in red zone. When the government could not manage the migrants, how are they going to manage lakhs of students?” he pointed out.

The mixed messages have led to growing uncertainty among students, some of whom have asked Samant on social media if they should be studying at all.

Playing musical chairs

MAY 8: Uday Samant declares exams in July

MAY 9: Yuva Sena secretary Varun Sardesai writes to UGC seeking cancellation of exams

MAY 17: Samant writes to UGC seeking cancellation

MAY 21: ABVP writes to Governor Koshyari urging him to support the exam plan

MAY 22: Governor writes to the CM, seeking intervention and objecting to Samant’s letter

MAY 25: Sanjay Raut writes in Saamna supporting cancellation of exams

MAY 26: Raj Thackeray, who is also in favour of cancellation, writes to Governor