Punjab Govt to Take Call on College Exams after June 30 in Line with Centre's Guidelines

The Punjab government on Saturday said it will take a decision on conducting examinations in universities and colleges after June 30, in line with fresh guidelines expected from the Centre.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said this during a Facebook live session. He said a decision in this regard will be taken by the Centre as all universities and colleges in Punjab are either directly or indirectly affiliated to the University Grants Commission (UGC), a statutory body under the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The UGC is expected to issue fresh guidelines for conducting exams on July 1 as lockdown 5.0 ends on June 30, the chief minister said.

On certain states conducting exams in colleges and universities, he said it was in violation of the norms laid down by the central government, which alone could take a decision on the issue with respect to the entire country.

The Centre is also expected to announce its decision on opening of colleges on July 1, an official release quoting Singh said.

The chief minister announced a month-long 'Mission Fateh Warriors' campaign to reward citizens following all health advisories and norms diligently.

People observing all precautions and motivating others to follow safety protocols would be honoured by the state government as part of this campaign, he said.

Citing a report of the Cambridge University, the chief minister said that tried and tested measures like wearing face masks could control the spread up of COVID-19 to 75- 80 per cent, making it imperative for all citizens to inculcate the safety norms in their daily routine.

On traffic violation during the lockdown, he pointed out that 41,000 out of the 81,000 strong Punjab Police force was engaged in COVID-19 related duty and nobody would be allowed to violate any rules on the road.

Violators will be fined and would have to face penal action under the law, he warned.

The chief minister made it clear that filming movies in the state was permitted and instructions to this effect had been issued to district commissioners.