They are protesting decision on finalterm exams; DU deliberates future course
Students’ organisations and teachers on Tuesday hit out at the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding compulsory conduct of finalterm examinations by September end. At Delhi University, where online open book exams are scheduled to start from Friday, deliberations over its conduct were on but no final decision was taken till late evening, said sources. Earlier, the UGC had recommended that exams take place in July, but on Monday it said the deadline has been extended while stating that exams may be conducted in offline mode or a blend of online and offline by September end. DU has been facing flak from several quarters for going ahead with online OBE, especially in light of recent mock tests where several students raised complaints. Student representatives from various groups, including the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), demanding recall of the decision, and suggested alternatives to holding the exam such as taking average of marks of previous years. In their petition, students reiterated issues that will be faced in participating in such exams considering a digital divide. Lack of highspeed Internet and inaccessibility to other resources makes this an “undemocratic and exclusionary” exercise, said AISA. They demanded an immediate withdrawal of the rules regarding the finalterm exams. ‘Focus not on students’ “The focus in DU’s OBE is obviously not on academics or students. It is an attempt to push through a software lobbydriven system into the mainstream of the university’s academic life. That is why all statutory processes and discussions have been sidelined to issue diktats,” said DU Academic Council member Saikat Ghosh.
0 Comments