The UGC had in April released an alternative academic calendar for colleges to reopen, with guidelines on exams, mode of study and the schedule.
At that time, the plan was to reopen colleges from September, but it could not materialise due to a continuing surge in coronavirus cases.
As per the revised calendar, the admission process for first year students needs to be completed by October 31 and classes for the first semester should commence by November 1.
In order to compensate for the loss of academic time, the UGC has asked colleges to teach six days a week and shorten the winter break this year and the summer break next year.
The universities are requested to compensate the delay in the start of academic session in the subsequent years by curtailing the breaks/vacations so that this batch of students would get their final results for award of degree timely,” the guidelines said.
The start of first year of academic session 2020-2021 is delayed due to the circumstances beyond control but efforts be made to compensate the loss of this period by curtailing the breaks (Summer, Winter etc). This would ensure that these students would timely complete their 3 year UG/ PG programme, the UGC guidelines said.
All the universities may follow a 6-day week pattern for the academic session 2020-21 and 2021-2022 to compensate the loss for this batch of students, it added.
Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as part of measures to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
