BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan late on Monday evening announced that engineering and polytechnic examinations stand postponed. The rescheduled examination dates will be announced after the corona curfew is lifted, he said.
This comes after widespread criticism against the government by students. First-year students of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), whose semester examinations are under way, were in a quandary on Monday, after the state government decided to impose stricter curfew from Tuesday. With only three papers left, first semester students were seeking clarifications from the government.
“There is no public transport starting tomorrow night, how are we expected to write the examination? Some of my batchmates come from the Tamil Nadu border, and are wondering how to make it to the examination. It’s best that they are postponed because writing them in the next semester will be a burden. With the second PU examination on hold, CET wont be completed, and engineering colleges can’t commence the academic year for first-year students,” said a student from a private engineering college on Kanakpura Road. The education department postponed practical examinations for Science students on April 28 till after the theory examinations are completed.
Students also took to social media to show the violation of safety protocols in colleges when holding examinations during the second wave. “Sanitiser was not provided, and temperature was not checked. The only norm followed was the limit of students per classroom -- 30 students in a hall,” added a student. Students on social media also highlighted how SOPs were not followed at examination centres. Despite asking only those with Covid-negative certificates to enter the hostel, a student said that co-residents continued living with symptoms, and a test was held on campus just once.
All India Democratic Students Organisation had condemned the VTU administration for keeping with the examination schedule. Former minister Pramod Madhwaraj tweeted that he had requested the CM’s special officer to convey their concern to the chief minister.
RCU FINALLY POSTPONES SEMESTER EXAM
BELAGAVI: Rani Channamma University (RCU) has finally postponed all examinations scheduled from April 27, with an increasing threat of Covid-19 spread. The New Sunday Express (TNSE) had published a detailed report on April 26 that RCU is facing harsh criticism for conducting semester exams from April 27. A recorded phone audio clip, purportedly containing a conversation between a student and RCU staffer regarding the exam, went viral. In the clip, the student asks how the university can conduct an examination when the pandemic is at its peak. In its notification, RCU said that all UG, PG, MBA examinations that were to be held from April 27 were postponed. The revised timetable will be sent to all colleges, and be published on the website, valuation registrar SM Hurakadli said.