Online exams: Punjab minister calls Shafqat Mahmood after students’ protest

• Punjab Minister for Higher Education Raja Yassir speaks to Shafqat Mahmood on examination policy
• Both agree that HEC should give clear directions to universities on exam policy
• It is HEC’s mandate to give policy guidelines to universities, says the Punjab minister

LAHORE: As students yet again took to the streets on Wednesday to raise the demand for online exams, Punjab Minister for Higher Education & Information Technology, Raja Yassir spoke to Shafqat Mahmood about the examination policy. 

Taking to Twitter, Yassir said that he and the federal minister agreed to request the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to provide “clear directions” to public and private universities regarding examination policies. 

“I talked to Federal Minister and we agreed to request HEC to give clear directions to all public and private universities regarding examination policy. Also, want to clarify that giving policy guidelines to universities is the mandate of HEC which is an autonomous entity,” he tweeted. 

Students of both private and public universities have taken to the streets and protested online against in-person examinations, calling on authorities to hold exams virtually due to the coronavirus situation in the country. 

On Tuesday, protests turned violent when several private university students sustained injuries after getting into a clash with security guards during demonstrations.

The students of the private university had reached the educational institute’s main gate where they chanted slogans against the varsity’s administration.

“When we were taught online, our papers should also be conducted online,” the students had demanded. 

The situation took a turn for the worse when the protesters tried to enter the varsity premises. The guards and the students had clashed, and as a result, five students sustained injures. Police said one of the wounded students was in critical condition.

Students have maintained they would continue the protest until their demands are met; however, the university administration has not yet commented on the matter.