West Bengal: 3 more universities to hold virtual exams in October

KOLKATA: Three more state universities on Thursday said they would be conducting the final semester examination in virtual mode in October and publish the results by end of that month. The varsities are North Bengal University, Vidyasagar University and Raiganj University.

The Vice-Chancellor of North Bengal University Subiresh Bhattacharya told Press Trust of India, "we will be conducting final semester exams from October 1 to 8 in virtual mode." Bhattacharya said as per virtual mode, the university will be emailing questions to the colleges who will in turn email it to students at the time of exams.

The students can write the papers digitally or download the question for writing on paper and submitting the same to the collection centre set up by the university within 24 hours. "The results will be out by October 31," he said. Vice-Chancellor of Vidyasagar University Prof Ranjan Chakraborty said, "we will withdraw the final semester evaluation results soon."

He said Vidyasagar University will upload the questions only for candidates and concerned faculty during the exams on its portal from where it will be downloaded and replied Further modalities were being chalked out, he said. Officials of the Raiganj University also said that the final semester examination will be held in virtual mode in October and the results will be published by the end of October.

Exams in October

Earlier Calcutta University Vice-Chancellor Sonali Chakraborty Banerjee on Wednesday had announced that the varsity will conduct the final semester exams online from October 1 to 18 and the results will be published by October 31.

Repeated attempts to contact Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Prof Suranjan Das elicited no response. Another top JU source said the varsity was weighing pros and cons of holding virtual exams as it did not want any digital divide among candidates - not depriving those having no smartphone or poor net connectivity.

Arts Faculty Students' Union Chairperson Teerna Bhattacharya said the JU authorities told them a decision will be held about future steps with regard to the state government's decision for conducting final semester exams by October.

"None can play with the career of students. Many of our friends on the basis of the results of the evaluation process in July in arts and science faculties have already appeared for interviews with CVs. Now if that evaluation process is declared invalid, what will happen to those friends of ours. "Again if JU authorities talk about following digital mode in exams, the issue of many students not in possession of smartphones will come up. Let's see what the authorities decide. If the interest of students are ignored we will launch movement after discussion with general students," she said.

ABVP National Secretary Saptarshi Sarkar said, "we had always been against mass promotion of students. We had always talked about proper evaluation based on which the students' results will be decided. We are happy that after SC verdict the state government has also asked universities to conduct tests by October. Whether in online or offline mode exams need to be held. This is necessary for the career of students."

West Bengal higher education department recently asked universities to conduct final semester exams in online or offline mode between October 1 - 18 and publish results by October 31 in the wake of Supreme Court upholding a UGC advisory for wrapping up final semester exams process in colleges and universities by September 30.

The SC allowed any state to individually approach the UGC for holding the exams in its higher educational institutions on a later date but said tests should be conducted.

Also read:

• JUTA urges West Bengal CM for autonomy to conduct final semester exams
• Students complain DU not issuing digital degrees, HC calls for data

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