CHENNAI: Anna University on Sunday provided students from its affiliated colleges in four rain-hit districts an option to take their first semester exams after the second semester exams in April-May.
The decision comes following a protest by students demanding that sufficient time be given to prepare for their examinations.
Officials from the university confirmed that students, willing to take up their first semester exams as per the revised schedule from December 15, would also be allowed to do so.
Around 300 Anna University affiliated first-year college students from Chennai, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur assembled in front of the varsity premises on Sunday morning to protest against rescheduling their first semester exams continuously without sufficient break.
A student from Kancheepuram told Express, “While the first semester exams for university departments were postponed to January, exams were scheduled between December 15 and 21 without adequate breaks.”
Following the protests, Anna University agreed to postpone two exams scheduled on December 16 and 18 (Engineering Graphics and English) and announced that revised dates would be announced later. However, the students continued the protest stating that most students from the four rain-hit areas had lost their books and were not mentally ready to sit for their exams next week.
Reacting to this, the Anna University officials held a meeting late Sunday where it was decided to provide two options to students from these four districts.
The Anna University Registrar S Ganesan said, “Students from affiliated colleges in Chennai, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur can take up their first semester exams as per the revised schedule from December 15 and students who are not willing to take it up immediately will be provided with the option of writing it after their second semester exams.”
“These optional exams will not be considered as arrears and adequate time will be given to the students to prepare for this after the second semester exams ended,” he added.
The officials said that while only 50 to 60 colleges were affected by floods in the four districts, the decision had been taken keeping the stress undergone by some of the students and their welfare in mind. This is to be applicable for all the 148 colleges in the four districts.
The first semester exams for remaining 450 affiliated colleges in other districts would be held as per schedule.