DUTA Press Release: 8.6.2020

In a spontaneous action programme, large numbers of students and teachers took to FaceBook and added the frame “DU Against Online Exams” to their profile pictures to mark their opposition to the Open Book Examinations announced for students of terminal semesters. The total number of students in the terminal semesters of PG and UG courses offered  in various modes - regular, SOL and NCWEB - is close to 4 lakhs. This gives an idea about the magnitude of students and households which will get affected by this decision.

A Survey cum Referendum conducted by DUTA with over 51,000 students has shown that close to 50% students did not receive material or could not access it and only 28% students could attend online lectures with some regularity. Close to 34% students could not join any online class. 90% have voted against the idea of any examination at this juncture as they find themselves ill-prepared and 85% have voted against the OBE.

Since the lockdown, teachers have been engaging with students through e-resources. However, most colleges and the University failed to provide any systematic means to cope with issues. Despite best efforts, teachers could not reach all the students uniformly. Lack of resources, connectivity issues and environment at home have adversely affected students’ learning environment. The Survey also showed that students who had gone home for Holi had not carried their notes/reading material with them. Even when teachers were able to hold online classes, only one-third to one-fourth students participated.

Students ought not to be tested through a centralised examination when teaching and learning has been so uneven. Any form of examinations, especially, OBE discriminates against those without access to books, notes and online resources.

The special needs of many students, especially the differently-abled ones and their entitlement, have been completely ignored. The University has failed to recognise issues of mobility and access to resources for such students, including scribes to write such examinations. With the norms of physical distancing, finding scribes would be difficult. It is extremely unfortunate that because of the high-handedness and insensitive attitude of the University, wherein it has refused to pay any heed to innumerable representations and pleas, differently-abled students have been pushed to the Courts to seek justice.

Teachers have also pointed out that OBEs are potentially open to malpractices by groups of students as well as private agencies. With a large number of students writing the same exam through this remote process, the system has built into it the scope of being a farce. Already students have started receiving messages from coaching centers that reading material may be purchased! On the other hand, students would be penalized for their honesty.

The fact that the University is ready to consider past performance two other batches of students and ready to exempt them completely from taking any examinations for these semesters in near future, leaves terminal students feeling like lab rats. It is indeed incomprehensible that, while the University is ready to consider past record for the calculation of averages, it is not ready to extend the same for terminal students who actually have earned grades for many more semesters.

The DUTA will continue to build a joint movement on this along with students and parents. In this regard, the DUTA has already launched a petition to the Prime Minister. This will be submitted soon and shared in the public domain.

Rajib Ray President, DUTA Rajinder Singh Secretary, DUTA For Photographs - link