Renu Kshetry

Kathmandu, April 10:

The Office of the Controller of Examination (OCE), Tribhuvan University, has proposed to conduct examinations of all levels in a span of 77 days and to publish the results within three months effective from the academic year 2005. Earlier it used to take 120 days to hold the examinations and over four months for the results to be published.

Controller at OCE Badrinath Shrestha, talking to The Himalayan Times, said if there is full commitment from all concerned parties -- OCE, dean offices and the central department, then the task will not be difficult. "The controller can implement it from next academic year but there are some hurdles like conducting classes regularly," he said. To revamp the academic calendar and streamline the present education system, the OCE has given its consent to the report presented by the task force on January 10.

The report suggested that the examinations of the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) 2nd year examinations and Bachelors third year examinations should start from March 14 and the results be published by the second week of July. The examinations of PCL first year and Bachelors second year should start in April and results published in July. The report also suggested that in order to successfully conduct the examinations in the limited time frame, the tradition of issuing late forms needs to be abolished.

The rector of TU Mahendra Singh, said the varsity is planning on streamlining the education system and is working to make certain changes in the academic calendar from next session.

The report suggested holding classes during vacations, scheduling examinations during public holidays, a time-frame to be given to the copy checkers and supervisors, and re-evaluation of question models, provision to reward copy checkers who submit the answer sheets at the earliest.

While the form fill-up stretches over a long period of nearly two months, the report suggested that this should be done in 15 days. "TU lacks direction, and these steps if implemented, the students will not have to lose their nearly a year," said Shrestha. "We might have some problems with this batch. But if we receive the needful help from the concerned department, then it will not be that difficult."