AUQIB SALAM
Srinagar, Aug 9: 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.
