The Raj Bhawan in Bihar has written to vice chancellors of the state universities that the students not having 75% classroom attendance should not be allowed to take exams, officials said.
The letter to vice chancellors has been written by Robert L Chongthu, principal secretary to the Governor Rajendra Vishwanath.
The Governor is chancellor of state universities.
“The Governor has expressed his displeasure and directed after due consideration that the students not having 75% attendance be not allowed to take exams conducted by the universities and their exam forms be not accepted, barring in case of any proper reason made available. This needs to be complied forthwith in all universities,” says the letter, which has been seen by HT.
In Bihar, which has been very slow on higher education reforms and implementation of semester system, poor attendance in colleges and universities and erratic classes have been a chronic problem.
With sessions late by up to 2-3 years in some universities, the focus is invariably on conducting exams and publication of results without conforming to the basic attendance requirement and classroom teaching.
In Patna University also, which is relatively better in terms of its functioning, the closure of hostels at the start of the new session this year due to law and order problems had led to a lot of problems to students from average income families coming from far-off places.
The principal of 161-year-old Patna College, Tarun Kumar, said that attendance of students was a prerequisite for colleges and universities. “The Chancellor has only reiterated it. In Patna College, it is not an issue, as we already don’t allow students having less than 75% attendance, barring in case of medical reasons, to take exams. The Chancellor’s directive is with regard to all the universities, as the problem of erratic classes and poor attendance is reported from several universities and colleges. It is a welcome move,” he said.
In Bihar, 75% attendance has been made mandatory also for students in government schools for taking board exams.
No let-up in BJP-JD-U spat
Meanwhile, despite chief minister Nitish Kumar’s meeting with Governor Wednesday evening, the war of words between BJP and the JD-U has continued. “It was a courtesy meeting. Nitish Kumar respects constitutional bodies and so he went to meet the Governor. People may speculate whatever they want,” said JD-U spokesman Neeraj Kumar.
State BJP president Samrat Choudhary and leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha, on the other hand, said it was an attempt to humiliate the Governor. “Development can be done through showdown. There has never been any showdown between the Governor and the state government in Bihar,” said Choudhary.
