Envisioning the examination reforms in higher education system

For promotion of quality and excellence in higher education, the University Grant Commission (UGC) developed an ‘Action Plan for Academic and Administrative Reforms’ to outline the main steps, the central and state universities, colleges and other educational institutions of higher education need to consider and adopt in respect of Curriculum development, Semester System, Choice-based credit system, Admission procedure, Examination reforms. The new grant marking policy developed by UGC as part of the 11th Plan, strategy for improving the quality of higher education involved lining of grant-making process with adoption of academic and administrative reforms by the concerned universities and colleges. Therefore, the educational institutions were expected to initiate this academic reform at the earliest. The teachers themselves might not be prepared to accept the responsibilities going with examination reforms. It is natural that any attempt at reforms for the purpose of changing the status-quo means resistance from the established order. The present paper elucidates the contemporary concerns in higher education examination system in India. The paper envisions a better examination system leading to a more skill and competencies based evaluation. Later the paper concludes in the true spirit of the motto "Experiment and innovative or perish", so the stakeholders must try to experiment and innovative and learn and finally reform our system of examination. Any rigid attitude will result in a total waste of our efforts to rid our examination system of the existing evils.