TN mulls simultaneous university exams to ease admission stress

CHENNAI: In an effort to improve the day-to-day activities of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in the State, the Higher Education Department has decided to introduce model policies for state-run universities and their affiliated colleges to maintain uniformity in administration and academic activities.

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education (TNSCHE) under the Higher Education Department has been entrusted with framing the policies for the HEIs in the State.

“In line with its statutory functions under the TNSCHE Act, which includes examining the statutes, ordinances, and regulations of universities in the State and suggesting modifications to maintain uniformity in administration, it has proposed to formulate a set of model policies through consultative process,” a senior official from the Higher Education Department said.

Stating that maintaining uniformity in universities’ administration and academic activities across the State is a multi-task effort involving various stakeholders and initiatives, he said the key areas include curriculum development, examination processes, and the adoption of technology.

“Maintaining uniformity in examination procedures is very vital, including both theory and practical assessments,” he said, adding that “all the state-run universities should also give a similar schedule of all the semester examinations for the benefit of the students.” Claiming that conducting uniform exams at the same time across universities will benefit students, the official added that universities should also publish their results during the same period.

“If there is a variation in the results dates, which is prevailing at present, the admissions for the deserving undergraduate students, who want to pursue postgraduate courses in other universities, will be largely affected,” he said.

Maintaining uniformity in administration will lead to more transparency and will streamline processes, the official said.