The University Grants Commission (UGC) has, on Tuesday, rolled out the fresh academic calendar for the first-year students in the colleges and universities and as per the new calendar, the academic session for the freshers will be commencing in November and the Central body has directed the varsities to complete the admission drive for freshers by October 31. 

The Universities are asked to start the classes for the freshers of undergraduate and post-graduate from November 1. The UGC has directed the varsities to begin the online classes if the Union Ministry of Home Affairs keeps the ban on re-opening the schools and colleges by November, owing to the COVID-19 spread. 

The newly issued academic circular would bring in the fresh educational year as the freshers who are admitted in November would be getting promoted to the second year in August/September 2021.

Earlier in April, the UGC had released the alternative academic calendar in which the Central body had suggested the varsities to begin the first-year classes on September 1. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 cases, the date has got deferred and the academic calendar has been revised now and the UGC has mandated the varsities to conduct the final year exams by the end of September. 

The UGC has issued a fresh academic calendar with the factors of compensating the loss of academic time. According to reports, the UGC has directed the colleges and varsities to conduct classes for six days a week, without a break and without any summer or winter holidays, for the next two academic sessions. The UGC maintained that this no break structure would ensure that these students would timely complete their 3 year UG/PG courses. 

The Central body has instructed the colleges to give a full refund of fees if a student withdraws the admission before November 30. The guidelines said that with the view of ensuring that students and parents won't be facing any financial hardship after canceling the admission, the colleges would be making a full refund of fees be made on account of all cancellation of admissions/ migration of students, up to 30.11.2020.

However, for students who cancel and withdraw the admission on or before 31.12.2020, the fee collected would be refunded to them after deducting Rs 1,000 as a processing fee per student. The classes for the first-year students are expected to begin on November 1 and if in case of a delay in the declaration of results in the qualifying exam, the varsities may plan and start the academic session by November 18.