Fake news factory targets UGC over offline exams during Covid-19
Hyderabad: The fake news factory has now turned its attention on a major vulnerable portion of the public – students – and by exploiting the Omicron scare, is spreading panic across the country with a fake notice regarding offline exams in universities. The notice, which is still being shared widely by unsuspecting students and […]
Hyderabad: The fake news factory has now turned its attention on a major vulnerable portion of the public – students – and by exploiting the Omicron scare, is spreading panic across the country with a fake notice regarding offline exams in universities.
The notice, which is still being shared widely by unsuspecting students and several others, has prompted the University Grants Commission to come forward to warn students and ask them to follow the official UGC website for authentic updates on university exams.
The notice, which began being shared on popular social media platforms and messaging platforms like WhatsApp too, claims it is be from the UGC on exams. Offline examinations, it said, will be held for all universities semester courses for upcoming exams.
“As all the Colleges and Universities are operating while maintaining COVID-19 protocols so offline examinations can be taken maintaining social distancing at their home centres. So, all the Universities are hereby advised to conduct current and future semester examinations in offline mode with maintaining COVID-19 protocols. Universities are requested to take proper precautionary measures for the preparation of conducting examinations in offline mode,” read the fake notice, which was on the letterhead of UGC secretary Rajnish Jain, dated December 10.
The UGC has now reacted to the viral message with a public notice.
“It has come to the notice of the Commission that a Public Notice dated 10.12.2021 claiming to have been issued by the Secretary having instructions with regard to conduct of offline examination in universities and colleges, has appeared in various print and electronic media including social media. It is hereby clarified that the said public notice has not been issued by the UGC. It is further clarified that all the public notices issued by UGC are regularly uploaded on the UGC website www.ugc.ac.in,” the Commission said in the notice signed by the original Jain.
The PIB Fact Check wing too has tweeted on the fake notice.
“A public notice regarding offline examinations in universities is circulating on social media and claims to be issued by @ugc_india #PIBFactCheck: This public notice is #FAKE! University Grants Commission has NOT issued any such notice,” the PIB’s fact-checking wing said in a tweet.
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