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UGC has released the new academic calendar due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in country and suggested that classes for 2nd and 3rd year students can begin from 1st August 2020 and that for fresh batch i.e. for first semester/year students it can begin from 1st September 2020.
In the present circumstances, the UGC has listed some major concerns regarding these COVID-19 pandemics which are as follows:
- Ensuring the health, safety and security of the students, faculty and staff and also to continue academic activities.
- Conducting the examinations and declaration of results.
- Facilitating the students to participate in further admissions, placement processes, research and training etc.
- Charting out a plan for the next academic session.
“All the universities may follow a 6-day week pattern to compensate the loss for the remaining session of 2019-20 and the next session 2020-21” mentioned in guidelines by UGC.
For the session 2020-2021 fresh admissions, the Commission has suggested the August 1 - August 31 period. For the new academic session, odd semester exams can be held between January 1 and January 25 and even semester can begin from January 27.
"In order to overcome such challenges in future, the faculty should be adequately trained for the use of ICT and online teaching tools, so that they complete about 25% of the syllabus through online teaching and 75% syllabus through face to face teaching," says UGC.
Suggested Calendar by UGC for the academic session 2019-2020:
| S.No | Events | Date |
| 1. | Start of Even Semester | 1st January 2020 |
| 2. | Suspension of Classes | 16th March 2020 |
| 3. | Continuation of Teaching-Learning through various modes such as Online Learning / Distance Learning / Social Media (WhatsApp / YouTube) / E-mails / Video Conferencing / Mobile Apps / SWAYAMPRABHA Channels on DTH etc. | 16th March to 31st May 2020 |
| 4. | Finalization of Dissertation/ Project Work/ Internship Reports/ E-labs/ Completion of Syllabus/ Internal Assessment/ Assignment/ Students Placement Drive etc. | 1st June 2020 to 15th June 2020 |
| 5. | Summer Vacations* | 16th June 2020 to 30th June 2020 |
| 6. | Conduct of Examinations: | (i)Terminal Semester/ Year | 1st July 2020 to 15th July 2020 |
| (ii)Intermediate Semester/Year | 16th July 2020 to 31st July 2020 |
| 7. | Evaluation and Declaration of Result: | (i)Terminal Semester/ Year | 31st July 2020 |
| (ii)Intermediate Semester/ Year | 14th August 2020 |
*If situation so demands, the universities can have Summer Vacations for 30 days from 01-06-2020 to 30-06-2020. In that case the teaching-learning through various modes can be held up to 15-05-2020 and subsequently Finalization of Dissertation etc. may be completed from 16-05-2020 to 31-05-2020.
Suggested Calendar by UGC for the academic session 2020-2021:
| S.No | Events | Date |
| 1. | Admission Process | 1st August 2020 to 31st August 2020 |
| 2. | Commencement of Classes | (i) Students of 2nd/3rd year* | 1st August 2020 |
| (ii) Fresh batch (First Semester/Year) | 1st September 2020 |
| | Conduction of Examinations | 1st January 2021 to 25th January 2021 |
| | Commencement of Classes for Even Semester | 27th January 2021 |
| | Dispersal of Classes | 25th May 2021 |
| | Conduction of Examinations | 26th May 2021 to 2th June 2021 |
| | Summer Vacations | 1st July 2021 to 30th July 2021 |
| | Commencement of Next Academic Session | 2nd August 2021 |
* For courses more than 3-yearduration, the university may plan accordingly.
In UGC guidelines UGC has also asked institutes to develop virtual classroom and video conferencing facility and train all teaching staff in using the technology. Universities have also been asked to make use of virtual laboratories to facilitate students of science/ engineering/ technology streams.
