The Delhi High Court recently held that students shall have the choice to give exams.
The central government had earlier announced that the universities and colleges across the country are required to complete the final semester exams for the final year undergraduate and postgraduate students by the end of September 2020. The colleges would be provided with the option of completing the exams online, offline, or in both the modes as per the convenience of the students.
In its general meeting on October 5, BCI said its circulars and press releases had “clearly spelled out that no physical exams were to be held till physical reopening of colleges, which should only re-open after the crisis of pandemic is averted”.
The directions were also issued to promote all students except those in the final year to ensure that classes for the next academic year would begin, it added. Promoting intermediate students were regularized by adding a clause that exams should be held within a month of re-opening of colleges, BCI has clarified.
Prodyut Bhattacharya, the controller of examinations at IP University, said “we will wait for now as there is a court hearing on October 21 where our counsel would place the university’s view.”
The university had a plan to start the exams on November 2, “which would have been better as otherwise students will have to sit for two semesters exams in December”, he said, “We had decided on a two hour exam as an arrangement for the Covid- 19 precautions.”
On 21st October 2020, Justice Nath acknowledged that a situation of back logging of exams can be there if postponed whereas the petitioners have assured the students would be willing to give 10-15 exams. Directions have been given to the students whether to give exams on 2nd November or later when the reappear exams are to be given.
Operative part to remove any confusion:-
- Students shall have the choice to give exams any of the two exams. It is pertinent to note that the first chance is in the lieu of the desire of the students who wish to write exams commencing from 2nd November 2020 and second alternative is given in the light of the BCI Communication/ Clarification where the exams will be held post 1 month of the Physical reopening of the college.
- There shall lie no penal consequence for those students who wish to miss the exam commencing from 2nd November 2020, but they have to give exams post the physical reopening of the colleges.(No student is exempted from giving exams, rather it’s a choice left for the students whether to give it now or later)
- The mode for the exams commencing from 2nd November 2020 shall be physical and shall be in the home institution which shall have 3 questions and will be of 2 hours.
Also, it has been submitted in the petition that the students are comfortable to have 2-3 semester examination together later on who skips this exam and have no objection for the same. Thus, no matter how many exams will be lined up in the future the students shall have to give exams.