DU GUNG-HO ABOUT FINAL YEAR OPEN BOOK EXAMS; STUDENTS RUE
Anumber of universities have exempted students from final year exams, owing to the Covid-19 crisis. But no such respite awaits students of Delhi University, which has started with the second phase of open book online mock exams. Students who wrote these examinations faced many challenges.
“Mock tests are a mockery,” asserts Dishant Grewal, a final year Political Science student at Kirori Mal College, adding, “Political science students were given a question paper for Geography, but they covered it up saying this was just for sample. A site on which you can’t upload documents that weigh in KBs, and that crashes on results day, how do you expect to upload megabytes of answer sheets?”
Internet connectivity and power cuts are matters of grave concern for those back in their hometowns. Benna Fathima, a final year Sociology student at Hindu College, who went back to Kerala in March, says, “The university has made provisions for students to go to a centre if they can’t write from home. But, I live in a containment zone. Where do I go?”
Technical glitches aside, the anxiety of preparing and finishing the exams in time has taken a toll, mentally. “Many of my friends don’t have a laptop and had to upload from their mobile phones. At first, it showed uploaded, but within 10 minutes, it showed error… It was very haphazard. I spent my days in anxiety, it has taken a toll on many of us,” reveals Priyanshi Singh, a final year History student at Miranda House, who gave the mock test from Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
Students have filed petitions seeking exams to be cancelled, but to no avail. “I appeal we are graded on past performance or given assignments. In any case, these are open book exams, so what difference does it make if we submit assignments?” questions Mayank Madaan, a final year B.Com student at Satyawati College.