AISA submits a memorandum to MHRD to reconsider the circular in the larger interest of students!

AISA condemn’s the latest revised UGC Guidelines and demand from MHRD and UGC!

In the late evening on July 6, first the MHA issued a statement allowing Universities to conduct Exams of Final year students in Colleges and Universities. It was followed by HRD Minister releasing the revised UGC Guidelines which read, “The terminal semester will be conducted by the universities by the end of September, 2020 in offline (pen and paper) or online or blended (online + offline) mode.” This diktat by Govt/UGC marks another low and reflects the apathy, incompetence, bankruptcy and insensitivity of people in power. The latest diktat by UGC which affects Hundreds of Thousands of students in their final semester in different colleges and Universities across the country has left students in shock who have been demanding alternative mechanism for evaluation. It is also worth paying attention to, perhaps something which should be our prime concern that Corona cases in India has crossed seven lakh mark with over 20,000 deaths. Also, India is now the third worst hit country by this pandemic after USA and Brazil. At a time when all our focus should be to contain the spread of pandemic, the Modi govt has its priorities misplaced.

Our submission is if intermediate semester students can be evaluated based on performance in previous exams and Internal Assessments, then why can’t the same parameters be applied for final semester students? The Universities should be allowed to devise alternative form of evaluation, considering the unprecedented health crisis we are faced with. To assume situation would become normal in September is a far-fetched assumption which does not appear realistic from where we stand today. Given the speed at which COVID-19 cases are rising in India we really don’t know if we would be able to come out of this pandemic by September. In such a scenario the probability for Offline Exams is zero. Still, if Modi government is adamant to conduct Pen and Paper exams it will put lives of students at grave risk as it will require students to travel from their hometown to their respective Colleges/Universities. As of now Railway has cancelled booking in all regular trains till August 12 once it resumes It would lead to unnecessary chaos in travel & needless to say mental stress and trauma for the students. More with no public transport available anywhere, how should students, travel? Won’t their travel risk them for infections?

In another scenario if “Online Exams” is used to evaluate students, we can say from our experience of Mock Tests in Delhi University for the same that it would turn to be a disastrous measure. Students of Delhi University faced multiple challenges while appearing for their Mock Test which ranged from Technical glitches to other discrepancies. Considering the Digital divide, lack of High-speed Internet, inaccessibility to other resources makes it undemocratic and exclusionary method to be used for evaluation.

Reiterating our demand that Modi government must take necessary steps and come up with alternative methods for evaluation of end-semester students at the earliest. Today AISA submitted a memorandum to MHRD to be considerate towards students health and relieve them from the unnecessary anxiety and stress for another two months. During a pandemic students health is of top priority. Forcing offline exams will only put students, teachers and their family members lives at risk.

AISA demands immediately withdrawal of the MHRD revised rules and we demand Modi government to be considerate and adopt methods of evaluation used by various state governments. AISA also condemns the lack of sensitivity UGC and MHRD have shown towards students, teachers and university administration officials by declaring conduct of examinations.