Even as the pandemic situation worsens in Assam, Gauhati University (GU) is all set to conduct the semester examinations offline. The university has scheduled the final year BA and BSc examinations from 22nd September to 15th October.
Given the circumstances, a new standard operating procedure (SOP) has been issued. As per the SOP, the final semester examinations are to be conducted in blended mode, following Covid-19 protocols and the SOP provided by the University Grant Commission (UGC). The students who will be attending offline examinations will be called to their respective colleges and the university will be providing accommodation in its hostels for free to those students who had otherwise been staying at private hostels and as paying guests.
However, students of the university as well as of various colleges affiliated to GU have expressed concern on the university’s decision to conduct the examinations offline.
The final semester undergraduate students have given an application to GU seeking a change in the mode of examination from ‘offline’ to ‘open book examination system.’ “As you know the Supreme Court has given autonomy to universities and state governments to decide the mode of final year examinations. We request you to please implement the open book examination system in Assam. It will not violate the UGC guidelines. The UGC Secretary and CVO, Prof Rajnish Jain, has already said that due to the complexities of Covid, administration and state governments can conduct the final year examinations in the safest and easiest way possible. This will be in the great interest of the lakhs of students of Assam and also minimize the risk of Covid-19,” wrote the students.
Notably, many universities of the state have already conducted the under-graduate final semester examinations in the ‘open book system.’ Students of Cotton University have confirmed the same. In the open book system, the question papers are given through the university website or any online communication medium. The students can answer their questions online or on physical papers during the given time - usually two to three hours - and send their answer scripts by scanning them in PDF format in the given website or online communication medium. Examinees have claimed this mode to be beneficial, given that most students are currently residing at places where there is no proper network. Also, many are either infected by the virus or are with family members who are patients of the same and which would otherwise have prevented them from attending the physical examination halls.
Students of the Cotton University have also confirmed that while the theory papers have been completed online, neither have the practical exams been conducted nor has the university notified about the same. Sources have stated that the same may be done away with altogether due to the pandemic situation and the marks will provided as per internal assessments or assignments.
Contrary to this, GU will be conducting not just the theory, but also the practical examinations. Many students of GU have pointed out that the conducting of practical examinations was baseless given that due to the lockdown almost from the beginning of the academic year, students never had proper practical sessions to learn the lessons. They have also alleged that online classes were not regularly held by GU for the past three months, unlike most other educational institutions.
Moon Talukdar, General Secretary of the Post Graduate Students' Union of GU, speaking to G Plus said, “We have urged the management to reconsider the timing as well as the mode of the examinations. There are many outstation students and it is not feasible for them to return on time. Moreover, about 30 percent of the examination centres and college hostels are presently being used as quarantine centres or Covid care centres. Where will they stay and how will the university assure the safety of the students? It is only justified that the university administration considers all aspects and conduct the exams without compromising on the safety of the students, teachers and other staffs.”
It needs to be mentioned that the government had earlier requisitioned many schools and colleges to be used as Covid care centres. Further, many hostels have also been converted into quarantine centres. Further, given the strict Covid-19 protocols that are currently being followed, outstation students might have to undergo quarantine upon coming back to Guwahati.
“Every other university including Delhi University, Tezpur University, Cotton and Bodoland Universities have held online examinations for the sake of safety of the students. Why can’t GU think about their students? It would be so dangerous for us to give offline examination by risking our lives as the cases are increasing day by day,” wrote a student.
Apart from expressing concern over the mode of exams, the students have also mentioned that the dates of the final exams coincide with that of many entrance exams that are conducted by the central universities of the country. This includes the Graduate Aptitude Test – Biotechnology (GATB) conducted by the Regional Centre for Biotechnology on behalf of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, that is scheduled for 3rd of October.
G Plus reached out to the Gauhati University administration enquiring about their stance in this regard. Pratap Jyoti Handique, Vice-Chancellor of GU refused to answer to any questions regarding the final examinations. Dr Hemanta Kr Nath, Registrar, stated that the dates of exams have collided earlier as well. As for the mode of examination, Dr Nath stated that the feedbacks and suggestions had been taken by the Controller of Examinations from all the concerned colleges before the schedule was set and announced.
Importantly, although the question paper for offline exams will cover the entire syllabus, only 50 percent of the paper needs to be attempted by the students. The rest 50 percent marks will be given on the basis of the previous exams.