The 2017 batch of students at Kashmir University’s (KU) Institute of Technology (IoT) Zakura on Monday opposed the decision of the authorities to combine the 7th and 8th semester examination of their engineering course.
Notably the Dean Engineering department has framed the time table of their 8th semester while the students are yet to appear in their 7th semester major exams.
The time table was shared with the students on Monday morning leaving them high and dry.
“Our minor exams are already over and we were supposed to appear in the major exam of our 7th semester. But our dean has framed a time table of online classes for our 8th semester without holding our pending exams,” a group of aggrieved students said.
The students said their 7th semester examination was scheduled from March 1 as per the date sheet framed by their concerned Heads of the departments.
“But the Dean engineering department has withdrawn all the date sheets and has decided to continue with our online classes of 8th (last) semester,” the student said.
“We approached the varsity administration with a plea to hold our exams but we received a cold response from their side. The varsity administration was unclear about holding exams due to which countless speculations were made about the issue,” he said.
The student said the university was planning to promote the 7th semester students to 8th semester and later hold combined exams of both semesters in June or July month.
“It will have adverse implications on the student. The University should hold our 7th semester exam through online mode keeping in view the uncertainty about the improvement in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation,” the student said.
The student said it will be highly impractical to wait for months to appear in combined 7th and 8th semester exams which will add unnecessary burden for the students.
“Given the unpredictability of the ongoing pandemic, most of the universities and colleges outside J&K have already scheduled online examinations of students in order to complete the degree on time. But our institute wants to extend our degree for unknown reasons,” the student said.
The student said most of them are planning to apply for their Masters’ degree or have to start looking for jobs after their graduation in engineering.
“The last semester of the degree requires primary focus on the project and field work students. If the institute will not hold our pending 7th semester major exams it will remain as a hangover for the students distract us from our project work,” the student said.
The students it will be unfair to appear for the examinations of two semesters simultaneously and side by side work on the projects as well.
“The University should hold our 7th semester exams from the first week of May through online mode keeping in view the ongoing pandemic,” the student said.
Given the surge in COVID-19 cases there seems no possibility of opening of educational institutions in near future due to which chances for holding exams through offline mode seem bleak as well, the student said.
Dean Academic Affairs KU, Prof Shabir Ahmad Bhat when contacted said the matter will be looked into.
“I will take up the matter with the Dean engineering department and a student friendly decision will be taken in this regard,” he said.
Controller examination KU, Prof. Irshad Ahmad Nawchoo when contacted said a meeting has been scheduled on Tuesday 2pm with all the deans including the dean engineering department Zakura campus.
“All the issues will be discussed in the meeting and a unanimous decision will be taken in this regard,” he said.
Meanwhile a top official said majority of the PG departments have completed the classes of first semester but the varsity has not framed any time table for their next semester till now.
“The University doesn’t want to over burden the students by keeping their first semester exams pending. Most of the heads of the departments have suggested conducting first semester exams of students and later starting classes for their next semester,” the KU official said.