Revised GU academic calendar aims to have 90 days of classes per semester

Gauhati University has rectified the academic calendar and has shortened the winter vacation renaming it as End Semester Vacation starting from 24th December to end of Magh Bihu. The university has revised the 2016-17 academic calendar for its undergraduate courses in the wake of severe public reactions on the proposed 30 days’ classes instead of 90 days’ classes mandated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for each of the semesters.   The vice-chancellor of the university however assured that the classes will definitely be increased from what has been proposed earlier so that students do not have to face difficulties and will also try to accommodate the classes to finish the courses within due time.    It needs mention here that the GU academic calendar for its undergraduate courses for the 2016-17 session had kept a provision of a month-long winter vacation, between December 1 and December 31, 2016, in addition to a month-long summer vacation between July 1 and July 31, 2017, during the academic year. Besides, it is alleged that there was no specific period fixed for completion of the admission process, examinations, etc., which had reduced the number of class days by many days.   Speaking to G Plus, Principal of B. Barooah College, Dr Satyendra Nath Barman said that as the university has revised the academic calendar and according to the new calendar the examination will be held from 5th December, students will not be deprived of getting proper class time. He said that as the classes will be held normally in November the courses will be covered within the stipulated time.   President of Post Graduate Students’ Union, Manash Jyoti Kalita, said that as the undergraduate courses are conducted in semester system there will be problems in conducting the classes as the courses might not be completed on time.     The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has opposed the move of the Gauhati University (GU) authorities to reduce the number of degree semester classes to 30 days and demanded that the classes be held through 90 days for each of the degree semesters under the university.    An AASU delegation, led by its president Dipanka Kumar Nath, met the GU Vice Chancellor Dr Mridul Hazarika and placed the demand for raising the number of class days to 90 days for each of the degree semesters of the university, said a statement issued by the student body. The AASU delegation also demanded declaration of the results of GU examinations on time.   The student body alleged that the university was initially providing scope to the colleges affiliated to it to hold semester classes on 55 to 65 days. But now, the class days have been curtailed to only 30 days, which is nothing but an attempt at playing with the future of the students.    It needs reiteration here that there is an allegation that the GU academic calendar for the academic year 2016-17 had provided for only 30 class days for the students of each of its degree semesters, contrary to the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines for holding classes through 90 days for each of the degree semesters.   Meanwhile, a student of B. Barooah College pursuing degree course, said that the university’s decision of reducing classes to 30 days has not been accepted by the students. “According to UGC norms the classes should be held through 90 days but still the courses do not get completed as there are many holidays in a year. And also Assam is a state where different organisations called for bandhs for which we have to face problems as the classes get cancelled during such bandhs. So we have very less time to get the course completed in due time and now that the university has decided to reduce the classes we will have to think hard on how to pass in the examinations. Classes are very important for one to come up with good results. Students can study at home also but if they do not understand something they can get clarifications in the classes. So we want that the university should accommodate the classes in order to finish the courses,” the student said.