The Tamil Nadu government has given the go-ahead to conduct the end-semester examinations for final year students across colleges in the state. In a press note shared by Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan on August 31, it has been confirmed that the exams for all students studying in universities coming under the state’s Higher Education Department and all students pursuing polytechnic courses can be conducted after September 15. Contrary to what was believed earlier, these exams will be held offline in designated examination centres.

The finalised examination schedule and the centres in which they will be held will soon be released. The Minister has also requested students to start preparing for their respective exams. The news comes at a time when students were hoping that final-semester exams too would be cancelled. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami had announced earlier that all examinations for college students, except those in their final semesters, including arrear exams have been cancelled.

In unrelated news, the press note added that students wishing to apply for B Arch courses can begin applying from September 7 on www.tneaonline.com.

On August 28, Anna University in Chennai had confirmed that the end-semester exams for final year students will be conducted as per the Supreme Court ruling and based on University Grants Commission’s (UGC) guidelines. The Supreme Court maintained UGC’s mandate to Universities and Colleges across the country, to hold final semester exams before September 30.  However, the SC had added that in view of the pandemic, the states can file an application before the UGC seeking to extend the September 30 deadline.

Anna University had added that the end-semester exams would be conducted online and that it was waiting to obtain necessary permissions from the state government. Under the online format, exams were designed to be an hour-long with multiple-choice format questions.