The National Students Union of India (NSUI), a students' body affiliated with the Congress, has opposed the Delhi University's decision to conduct online exam. "Due to lack of proper resources, students have faced a difficulty in understanding various concepts and topics in the syllabus. Many students could not attend the classes due to lack of resources like mobile phones or laptop," the largest student democracy body of India has said.
The decision of Delhi University (DU) is in accordance with the UGC guidelines released on April 29. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has released new academic calendar for universities to follow during COVID-19 lockdown. The UGC has said that exams for the final semester students will be held in the month of July.
"Universities may conduct the exams in offline or online mode, as per their ordinances or rules and regulations, scheme of examinations, observing the guidelines of "social distancing" and keeping in view the support system available with them and ensuring fair opportunity to all students," the UGC has said.
In its letter the NSUI says, in many colleges which are affiliated to the Delhi University online classes were not held.
"There are many colleges in the Delhi University where online classes were not held like Ramjas College. In some colleges like Maitreyi, online classes were held for only a few courses. It would be really unfair to those students who would have to appear for these online examinations without the course being completed properly," it has said.
Apart from this the students' body has also raised voice against other important issues that students are facing during this lockdown like semester fee, room rent and online resources.
Recently, it had demanded to promote final year students based on past performance. It has also demanded to give final year students 10% extra marks as it said, "it is observed that students improve their performance in the final year."
It has also demanded that universities should completely waive off the semester's fee. "Universities may seek additional funds from PM Cares fund where teachers and university staff contributed," it has said.
"We urge that the Delhi University reconsider their decision of online exam, and even if these exams are held, it should solely be on the basis of what was covered in the in-person classes and not virtual classes," NSUI has said in the letter.
Another students' body, called Collective, has also launched an online petition against the university's decision. Calling it discriminatory, the organisation has said, "the premise of any examination is that all students must be able to prepare for it on an equal footing. The internet and digital mediums can be used to promote such equality if this principle is valued but without doing so, online examinations, MCQ-based 'standardised testing' and other such alternatives only deepen the inequality of opportunity within the education system." The petition reasons that home internet access is limited only to 12.5 % Indians as per NSSO 2014, and a majority of students may find it difficult to find a corner in their homes where they can sit and concentrate on studies.
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