Pune University cancels all October 31 exams for President's visit; new date is November 26

Savitribai Phule Pune University has cancelled the examinations of all courses scheduled for Saturday, October 31, in view of the President's visit and the flag-hoisting ceremony of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2026-27. The decision affects students of colleges affiliated to the university.

The change has forced a revision of the examination schedule for students in Pune, Ahilyanagar and Nashik districts. The administration has announced new dates.

The flag-hoisting ceremony of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela will be held by President Droupadi Murmu in the Nashik and Trimbakeshwar area. Because of the importance of the VIP visit, major changes have been made to traffic arrangements in the city and surrounding areas. Heavy congestion on the roads was expected because of security arrangements for the President and VIP movement.

The Nashik Municipal Corporation commissioner had written to the university administration to make it aware of the situation on the ground. Had the exams been held, thousands of students would have been unable to reach their centres on time because of the congestion, and could have suffered a major academic loss.

To spare students this inconvenience and distress, the university's Board of Examinations and Evaluation acted immediately. The board's director, Prof. Dr Rajendra Talware, issued an official circular announcing the cancellation of exams in all subjects scheduled for October 31, 2026.

All exams of October 31 will now be held on the revised date. To avoid confusion, the university has clarified that the exam will be held on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Teachers, principals and heads of institutions of the colleges concerned have been strictly directed to convey the decision to students immediately.

The sudden postponement has spared students last-minute stress and confusion. They will now have to rework their study plans according to the new date. The university has appealed to all students to check the revised circular on its official website and to report on time on the day of the exam.