With eight legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Haryana, including Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, testing positive for novel coronavirus, the monsoon session of the state Assembly was adjourned sine die on Wednesday barely three hours after it commenced.
The session began at 2 p.m.in the absence of CM Khattar and Speaker Gian Chand Gupta as both of them are undergoing treatment for Covid-19. Besides them, six others legislators including two ministers had tested positive ahead of the Assembly session.
The session was originally scheduled to have two sittings, one each on Wednesday and Thursday, but the duration was cut to a few hours after the business advisory committee (BAC) of the Assembly, which met in the morning, decided to reduce the duration of the session to just one sitting today.
Deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa presided over the session that began with the leader of opposition and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda from the Congress and state home minister Anil Vij reading out the obituary references.
Meanwhile, replying to a question Haryana education minister Kanwar Pal said that final year examinations of graduates could not be conducted on time due to Covid-19 and now the department has decided that further course of action will be taken according to the circumstances. In addition, as per the guidelines of University Grants Commission, it is mandatory to conduct examinations for the final year of undergraduate and postgraduate classes.
The minister was replying today to the objections raised by the members of the Opposition regarding examinations being conducted during Covid-19. He said that when a student works hard for 14 years to complete his graduation and does not get a proper degree, it is not appropriate.
The minister said that in view of this, the higher education department has decided to conduct online or offline examinations of the students. He added that the Department will ensure proper arrangements for this examination so that the rules applicable during Covid-19 are adhered to and the health of all concerned is taken care of.