NASHIK: Irrespective of students’ unions insisting that the summer semester exams be held in a hybrid model with a choice for students on online or offline exams, the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) authorities are firm on going ahead with their plan for conducting exams in an offline mode.
The Maharashtra Students’ Welfare Association has written to the state minister of higher education, Uday Samant, and the university vice-chancellor stating that the summer semesters need to be conducted online or at least students be given an option. The students said that the classes were conducted similarly, hostels have begun very recently, and many students were still in their native place, and it would be appropriate to make the mode of exams optional.
The president of the association said that the students had got barely two months to complete their assignments, projects, practicals and other semester related work, and amidst all this preparing for offline exams was going to be difficult.
The syllabus has also changed or reduced which may add pressure on the students. It said that the university announced the decision to conduct offline exams without any consultation with the students. Although colleges have resumed, the attendance in classes is still very poor. The reason behind poor attendance is that students are still arranging for accommodation, hostel facilities, mess and also travel, the member said.
Director of exams and evaluation at SPPU, Mahesh Kakade, said, “We have to come back to paper pen evaluation as the government has lifted all the restrictions imposed during the pandemic.” In the last week of March, the SPPU had announced conducting exams in offline mode which will be held in June and results would be announced by July-end.
