Bhubaneswar: After witnessing protests from the students, the Rama Devi Women’s University authorities Monday postponed the exams of sixth semester till second week of July.
The sixth semester was earlier scheduled to start June 25. The decision was taken keeping in view the safety of the students, an official said. Earlier, the students had staged a protest in front of the varsity gate here demanding cancellation of the final semester examination in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak. The students claimed that the pandemic has affected millions of people globally and also crippled the administrative functioning. This is an emergency which needs to be understood by all.
One of the students, Madhusmita, said thousands of students who are out of the state and are in red zones, orange zones and those in cyclone Amphan affected areas and containment zones can’t even come for the exam.
Those who would manage to come may the carrier of the virus.
Blind students can’t even take the exam as there will be no writer, even if they get writers, social distancing can’t be adhered to. “How the government will act on that,” she added. The students suggested some options like the government can promote the students by giving 50 per cent weightage from their internal assessment and 50 per cent from their previous five semesters.
Meanwhile, Utkal University has also announced the new dates for the final semester of the Plus III students. Official sources said that the sixth semester exam will commence July 7. Practical exams will be held from July 7 to 13 whereas theory exams will be conducted from July 14 to 23.