BENGALURU: The Karnataka Pre University College Lecturers’ Association on Wednesday has threatened to boycott the valuation of II PUC Science subject papers, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday in Bengaluru alone.
The association members said they will participate in the valuation process only if the government decentralises it or postpones it until the state hops back to normalcy from COVID-19.
The Karnataka PU College Principals’ Association and Lecturers’ Association had urged the government multiple times to decentralise the process of valuation. In this backdrop, the government had arranged 34 centres across eight districts to valuate subjects related to Commerce and Arts. However, it decided to hold valuation of Science papers in Bengaluru alone, despite strong opposition from the lecturer fraternity.
The members said decentralised valuations held so far have been successful and they want the government to emulate the same strategy for Science papers as well.
Citing their problems with centralised valuation process, the Lecturers’ Association members on Wednesday stated, “Only 20% of the evaluators are based out of Bengaluru. It is next to impossible for other valuators to travel to the state capital in the event of lack of adequate transport and accommodation facilities. This will pose a huge burden on those who attend evaluators present. Also, the government hasn’t announced any insurance package for lecturers in case of infection or taken adequate safeguards. This increases the probability of a community spread of the infection. Further, as the marks are to be uploaded on computers, many lecturers will be compelled to use the limited number of computers at the centre, thus creating further room for the spread of infection. In case of an infection, scores of evaluators will be quarantined and the area sealed down. This will result in inordinate delay of the valuation process. The lecturers, too, are not in the right frame of mind over centralised valuation. This will adversely reflect on the students’ answer scripts.”