AU makes justification for extreme practical exam marks mandatory

Prayagraj: Allahabad University has introduced a key reform in the conduct of practical examinations to ensure greater accountability and transparency in marking.Under the new rule, if a student is awarded less than 50% or more than 90% marks in a practical exam, the teacher concerned will have to submit a written justification explaining the reason for such grading. The decision was taken at a recent meeting of AU's Executive Council, chaired by AU VC, Prof Sangita Srivastava. Alongside this, remedial classes will now be made compulsory for students who receive low marks in practical assessments, enabling them to improve their understanding and performance through guided academic support. The reform is part of broader changes being implemented in line with the National Education Policy 2020, which has brought significant modifications to the examination and assessment system. Internal assessment, also referred to as sessional or Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA), has now been made mandatory across courses to ensure continuous monitoring of students' academic progress rather than relying solely on end-semester examinations. At the undergraduate level, the academic structure has also been revised. Students will now study two major subjects and one minor subject during the first two years of their programme, while the third year will be focused exclusively on major subjects. This is intended to provide both multidisciplinary exposure and deeper subject specialisation. In another student-friendly measure, AU has decided that students who fail in a subject or are unable to appear in an examination will not be required to repeat the entire semester. Instead, he or she will be allowed to reappear only in the failed subject while their previously secured internal assessment marks will remain valid. Officials believe this step will save students' time and effort, reduce academic stress, and make the system more flexible and supportive.