DUTA demands alternative mode of evaluation for final-semester students

NEW DELHI: The Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA) on Sunday urged the varsity administration to extend the alternative mode of assessment to the students of terminal semesters amid the second wave of the coronavirus infection.

In 2020, the Delhi University evaluated the first- and second-year students on the basis of their internal assessment and their performance in the previous semester. The varsity had opted for an online open book examination for the final-year postgraduate and undergraduate students, despite opposition from students and teachers.

In a letter addressed to acting vice-chancellor P C Joshi, the DUTA said that considering the damage caused by the second wave of COVID-19, the university should review its decision regarding examinations. "With the kind of damage which families have suffered, we feel that the university should review the decision regarding examinations for the terminal semester/year students. The alternate mode adopted for the continuing students may be extended to the terminal semester students as well,” it said.

DU final-year, final semester exams postponed

Earlier this month, DU had announced to postpone the final-year and final semester exams by 15 days. The exams were supposed to begin from May 15 but will now begin from June 1. They will be in online mode and held in the open book format. The teachers’ body said that the university should use its energy in declaring pending fifth semester results so that students can get degrees on time.

“The university should pursue the matter with the UGC (University Grants Commission) and MoE (Ministry of Education), if so required,” the letter reads. The teachers' body also said that the students across colleges and courses were not in a position to submit the internal assessment (IA) given their mental stress and family situations, and demanded this deadline be relaxed further.

The body said that many teachers are still in the grip of COVID-19 and are finding it difficult to meet the deadlines. They also request that the suspension of classes be continued for another 15 days. “As IInd semester (UG/PG)/first year students are continuing students, the time allotted for the examination work in the Academic Calendar may be used for providing this relief. We may aim at starting the new academic session for the continuing students (III/V/VII semester) from the last week of August,” the letter added.

The academic calendar for the continuing students issued in 2020 says that the vacation period starts on May 28. As the body demanded a revised schedule for the deadlines of submissions of IA and examination schedule, they also requested that the academic calendar should accordingly be revised. The DUTA also appealed to the university that all the serving ad-hoc teachers be continued through the summer vacation. The services of ad-hoc teachers are only up to May 28.

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