Students, colleges remain confused
MUMBAI: Months of ambiguity over the end-of-term final-year exams were finally brought to an end on Friday, after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that all the universities in the country will have to hold exams to promote students. Following the decision, the Maharashtra education department has assured to provide clarity over the exam schedule and other minute details soon.
However, students and colleges are still confused over the decision. “Colleges are currently working on virtual classes and a majority have decided to conduct semester exams by November this year. Going by the state government’s announcement, the final-year exams might also take place around the same time, leaving teachers burdened again,” said a senior professor of a suburban college. To give themselves enough time for clarity, several final-year students had decided to defer joining foreign universities for higher studies by one semester. Many are still worried that after missing the Augustseptember session, they might miss joining universities abroad in the January-february session too. “Due to the Covid-19 scare and uncertainty over my exams, I had deferred my intake to the February semester. I’m worried that I might not even make it for that semester, if the exams and results are delayed further,” said Akruti Patel, a final-year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) student, who has been accepted by a Canadian university.
Student organisations have claimed that the decision will put the health of students in jeopardy. “The verdict is unfair to the students. Not only will this cause more mental stress to students, but also pose a serious health hazard for all those who will be involved in the exam process,” said Mohammad Salman for the Student Islamic Organisation.
Some colleges, however, are not complaining about the verdict. “I’m sure every college has been mentally preparing for this situation, and so everything will be managed well,” said Rajendra Shinde, principal, St Xavier’s College.