The effect of the impaired decision making had triggered the spat between the Tamil Nadu government, Anna University, and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), leaving thousands of students in the state to get staggered on their road ahead in their career. 

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government has canceled the exams for colleges and said that all the college students in the state, except those in their final semesters, would be declared pass. The government stated that the order of cancellation of exams will also apply for the students those who have arrears. Labeling the COVID-19 outbreak as the reason for canceling the exams, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu said that the students will be granted marks based on the guidelines stipulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and AICTE. 

While the government's order had poured major relief to the students in clearing the burden that lied before them, it has now emerged a spat between the state government, Anna University, and AICTE after the latter had warned the Anna University that it would repeal the approvals granted to the varsity if it goes by the state government's decision of canceling the pending arrear exams and declaring the students pass. 

With no clear clouds on their sky, the students are caught in the middle of expecting how the weather would be as they are in the state of perplexion on whether they would be declared pass or they ought to appear for the exams amid the pandemic. The spat had tightened after the screenshot of the mail had been widely circulated on social media on Tuesday. 

The screenshot of the mail read that it was sent on August 30, 2020 from the Chairman of AICTE to the Vice-Chancellor of the Anna University, the varsity to which the state engineering colleges are affiliated to. The mail read that, "it's surprising that the final year degree students, who had failed in various courses in the previous semesters are declared passed without conducting examinations. It's not acceptable that the students are being awarded marks without conducting any examination". 

"Such students will not be recognized by industry or by other universities for higher education. AICTE will be constrained to withdraw the approval of Anna University", the mail added. The reports, however, say that the authenticity of the email could not be verified independently, Vice-Chancellor of Anna University MK Surappa had confirmed that he had received an email from AICTE on the similar note and he had already sent the mail to the state government. 

Speaking to a news agency, Surappa had issued conformity that he had forwarded the mail of what he received from the AICTE to the state government. The developments had left the students to brace up the suspense while three agencies are batting against each other. The educationalists are appealing to the government and the varsity to come to an amicable resolution in deciding the examinations for the students. The state government must address the issue and situation to the Union Ministry of Education and AICTE     and decide further. 

The communication from AICTE has come when the government claimed that it has made the decision based on the guidelines of the UGC and the council. According to the reports, AICTE Chairman Anil Sahasrabuddhe had said that the engineering students who have arrears and had applied for exams in April/May 2020 will have to write the exams to graduate, which is contrary to the order passed by the Tamil Nadu government in canceling the exams for regular and arrear students. 

Sahasrabuddhe was speaking to the news agency and had confirmed that he had sent a mail to Surappa on conducting the exams and he stated that he had spoken with Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shanmugam on conducting the exams for the college students and added that the council will not be repealing the varsity's approval if arrear exams shall be held. However, the reports stated that the Tamil Nadu government has pressed its stand that the students will be declared pass. 

Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister KP Anbalagan said that the government has not received any email from AICTE and he also called the vice-chancellor of Anna University to release the email in public. On July 23, the state government has announced the cancellation of semester exams for all the college students, except for the final semester students. According to the order, the final semester students both regular and arrear must write their exams while exams for all others have canceled. However, with the recent spat and announcement from the AICTE chairman has signaled that all the students must appear for the examinations.