Kerala university exams begin amid protests
TRIVANDRUM: The annual university examinations began in Kerala on Monday amid the COVID-19 scare and outrage against exposing thousands of students to the risk of infection.
Opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor last week “made one last atempt” in a “detailed discussion” with Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to defer the exams but failed.
Earlier he had drawn the atention of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in vain to intervene following reports that 60 per cent of the Kerala students suffer from depression under the pandemic.
While the pace of infections has slowed nationally, the southern state remains vulnerable as it tops in the number of daily cases, reporting almost one-fourth of India’s daily count.
The weely test positivity rate is also the highest in the state, at 10.39 per cent, as against the national average of 2.81.
Tharoor said the governor “responded sympathetically” to his request and offered to talk to the chief minister, but his atempts failed to yield result.
“As of now, exams are scheduled to go ahead tomorrow. If the state government insists on proceeding, I hope they’ll explain to the public why,” he later tweeted.
“These anxious kids, fearful for their health and future, are being pressured by the state government to take exams offline. Give them a break.”
He said he was overwhelmed by messages from unvaccinated students, protesting the scheduling of the offline examinations during the pandemic.
He approached the governor as he is the chancellor of all universities under the state government.
Students are outraged at the “insensitive” atitude of authorities insisting on the offline exams instead of adopting a secured online mode as international universities do.
They also said many are not able to take these exams as they are either infected with the virus or are under quarantine ater coming in touch with patients.
The state human rights commission said in a press release that it had also received many complaints from the students forced to take the exams offline on the campuses.
Following this, the commission’s chair Antony Domenic ordered registrars of all universities to prepare a separate schedule for them and report before July 12.
“Students should not undergo any sort of mental stress and the university authorities should make all arrangements to relieve them,” Justice Domenic said in his order.