Anna University releases schedule for arrear exams

Chennai

In-person classes for engineering, architecture and technology courses in Anna University would resume from February 8. Following this, the university has informed it would conduct arrear exams from February 16 to 28.

With the spate of covid-19 cases last year, colleges shut indefinitely and semester exams except for the final year students were cancelled. State government also mulled cancelling arrear exams, this call was opposed by AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education) and UGC (University Grants Commission).

Putting up a front against bypassing arrear exams, AICTE even threatened Anna University of stripping its recognition if it follows the state government's instruction.

Former Vice Chancellor of the University E Balagurusamy and lawyer Ramkumar Adithan moved the Madras High Court challenging the state government's decision. Ramkumar called to hold results sans examination, and the court went in his favour.

The bench led by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamurthy Friday discussed the probabilities of conducting online examination. Advocate General Vijay Narayan sought four weeks time to gather data from universities and file an affidavit for the same.

Meanwhile, advocate Sankar representing Ramkumar maintained the stance of witholding results and advocate Shanmugam representing the students argued that future of students has come to a standstill with this impasse. The next hearing was slated after four weeks.

But Anna University has decided to conduct arrear exams while the matter was still in the court.