In view of the coronaviruscrisis, the decision about when to hold university and college examinations in Maharashtra will be taken after instructions come from the University Grants Commission (UGC), state minister Uday Samant said on Friday.No decision had been taken about conducting examinations online, said Samant, minister for Higher and Technical Education, in a statement here.He held a video conference with vice chancellors of non-agriculture universities on Friday, the statement said.The COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown has affected the examination schedules of several universities and colleges."Decision will be taken only after instructions from the UGC....online teaching is on. But no decision has been taken about conducting examinations online," Samant said."Students will be informed about examinations. No student will be deprived of opportunity to appear for examination," the statement quoted the minister as saying.Universities are prepared to conduct examinations at their level, Samant added.He also informed that coronavirus testing laboratories will be set up in all the universities (barring agriculture varsities).One such laboratory has already been set up at Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University in Nanded, he said.Setting up of laboratories at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Aurangabad) and Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University (Amravati) was in final stages, the statement said.Savitribai Phule University (Pune) has come up with low-cost ventilators which will be used at five hospitals, the statement said.Samant also suggested that varsities donate some of their funds to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund for COVID-19.
