Jadavpur University Teachers Association (JUTA), the representative body of teachers in the premier higher educational institution, has urged Vice- Chancellor Prof Suranjan Das to adhere to UGC guidelines, and follow uniform rule for all streams while conducting examinations. The association was referring to the decision of the Faculty Council of Engineering and Technology (FET) regarding the time allotted to engineering students for submission of answer sheets for the even semester exams beginning this week on online mode.
In a letter to the VC, mailed on Sunday, JUTA said that the FET has taken different and ”apparently contradictory decisions” regarding the time for submission of answer scripts. For the forthcoming exams at the engineering faculty, a resolution adopted at a recent faculty council meeting said that examinees will be given a minimum time of 12 hours for completing the examination process, including uploading of the answer scripts.
The decision taken at the faculty council meeting on May 13 for giving 3 hours to students was valid going by the provisions of the acts and statutes of the university, the JUTA said. But the resolution adopted at the meeting held on May 18 stipulating 12 hours for uploading, to be followed in the semester exams, clearly violates the act, the teachers association said.
”While the total duration of the semester exams of 70 marks will be of 3 hours as specified in the admit card and question paper, the actual time of the entire process will be of 12 hours, as mentioned in the resolution,” a university official said Monday. As the answers require drawing diagrams and charts which need to be uploaded and attached with the written script, this would require more time as many students suffer from poor network connectivity or have to go to cyber cafes for mailing, especially in remote areas during the lockdown, the official said.
”JUTA fully understands that the extension of the time for submission of the answer scripts was done keeping in mind the problems faced by students who may face problems in uploading answer scripts due to various factors. ”Such students must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis and departments should be given full autonomy to decide on the steps to be taken to mitigate the problems of the students. This has been successfully done in the arts and science faculties,” general secretary of the association Partha Pratim Roy said.
Roy said, the university authorities must conduct faculty council meetings, finalise modalities for holding exams and communicate the same to students well in advance of the commencement of exams. The teachers’ body also apprised the university authorities about the possibility of disruption of mobile network during Cyclone Yaas.
A member of FETSU (Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students’ Union) said ”the time given for uploading answers is fair and we are happy that authorities listened to our pleas in this regard as offline and online exams are different. ”Without having a window of additional hours (which is justified and overdue) many students won’t be able to upload the complete answer script.” The student leader said, ”not allotting same hours to arts and science faculty students is not an issue. They should also be given equal time.”
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