Students of Central University Kashmir (CUK) on Sunday demanded online mode of exams for backlog papers after the varsity decided to go ahead with the offline mode of exams amid COVID pandemic.
The students said the varsity on Saturday issued the datesheet for conducting exams to various backlog papers of different semesters. A group of students said they have many reservations regarding the decision of the authorities to conduct offline exams.
“Entire world knows we are in the grip of COVID which is taking lives on a daily basis. It was totally avoidable to conduct exams where we have to be physically present. It would have been much better and safer to conduct the exams online. All the students are already under stress due to the continuous lockdown and now the University’s decision to make us sit in the exam halls amid COVID will make things worse,” said a student.
The students said pandemic was not their only fear. They said they were worried that many students may not be able to reach the campuses due to the unavailability of transport.
“The cluster University and other educational institutions are taking online exams, so why cannot our University. There are students from outside Kashmir, some of them from Ladakh and Kargil. What are they supposed to do? It is very risky when hundreds of students will flock varsity to appear in exams. It won’t be easy to maintain social distancing,” said Nadia Rasheed, another student, adding if the University wanted to hold offline exams they should wait for COVID conditions to ease.
The varsity Controller of examination, Parveen Pandit said the datesheet was issued after multiple representations by students. She said they were going to follow all the COVID protocols religiously for the safety of students.
“This is not any fresh exam, but we are holding exams for backlog papers. We have to conduct the exams in a way that injustice is not done to anyone. For students residing in remote areas we have kept provision of district wise centers and we still have kept more than one center to avoid gatherings,” said Pandit.
The Controller said there was a slow-speed internet issue as well and all students do not have access to gadgets and other facilities. As per the datesheet issued by the varsity, the exams will start from August 17 and will be completed on September 30. The exams will be conducted at Green campus, Arts campus and Tulmulla campus of Central University.