Use technology more proactively to make up for academic losses: Kejriwal to universities

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday urged universities to use technology more proactively to make up for the academic losses due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia held a review meeting with vice-chancellors of the universities under the Delhi government through video-conferencing.

They inquired about the admission status of the new session and the effect of coronavirus outbreak on the placement of students.

In the review meeting, the plans of the universities to complete the pending examinations which could not take place due to the outbreak of COVID-19 were discussed, a statement said.

There was a discussion on how the universities are planning the admission process of the upcoming academic session. The action plan of the universities to conduct the pending examinations and how they will conduct the next academic session was discussed.

The vice chancellors raised the issue of final year students who have got placement but some of their exams are pending.

If the students do not get any degree certificate from the universities then they will face difficulties in joining new companies.

The possibility of universities providing a provisional degree certificate to these students so that they do not face any problem in joining their companies was discussed in meeting.

The VCs apprised the chief minister that they are planning to conduct the remaining examinations online.

"The government will provide all possible help to the universities in this extraordinary time. In this situation, the universities should use the technology more proactively in the academics to recover the academic losses due to the pandemic," Kejriwal said.

"Social distancing is the key to fight this pandemic, therefore, every university should plan the academic sessions and running of the universities keeping in mind the social distancing norms," he said.

Sisodia said many universities have a business faculty and department.

"These universities should suggest the Delhi government what steps should be taken to revive Delhi's economy in the post-COVID-19 lockdown phase," he said.

The meeting was attended by the vice-chancellors of Indraprastha University, Delhi Technological University, Netaji Subhas University of Technology and Ambedkar University, and the director of IIIT Delhi, etc.