Sahil Gulzar
Law students from Kashmir University on Monday protested to reiterate their demand to conduct examinations online instead of the proposed offline mode by the varsity.
Scores of students from various areas of the Kashmir valley assembled and held placards in their hands that read “We demand online exams”, “Online exam unexpected”, “and we want justice.” The protesting students said that they preferred that Kashmir University conducts online exams, instead.
The students say that the offline exams are discriminatory.
They staged the protest one day after Law Students’ Forum Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) supported the decision of the Department of Law of Kashmir university to conduct the examination as per the date sheet already notified.
The Law Students Forum Jammu Kashmir, a body of consisting members of the School of Law, University of Kashmir, as well as various law colleges across the valley, issued a letter to support the department’s decision to conduct exams through offline mode. However, the students of Kashmir University say that Law students forum has no mandate in the University. “This is not a political issue. We want our exams to be conducted online. That is all,” a protesting student said.
Why are the students Protesting
On 29 September, 2021 the University issued a circular asking the students to join the classes offline from 05 October, 2021. The students had been demanding that the classes be conducted offline as Covid 19 witnessed a massive dip in the Kashmir valley.
Students who had not been vaccinated with two doses of Covid vaccine shall not be allowed to attend the classes, the college authorities informed the students via a notice.
Few days later, the college issued another circular stating that the class work shall be in a “blended mode”. Students who had not been vaccinated with two doses shall attend online classes, another circular reads.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, a student of 9th semester B.A.LLB said that our classes were conducted online and later a notification was issued that fully vaccinated students can attend offline classes followed by a notification that single-dose vaccinated won’t be allowed on the campus.
“The college sent us messages in our intra-college whatsapp group that they will initiate action against students who were found roaming on the campus and were single dosed,” she stated.
She demanded that the university should come clear on what will be done to the students two have received a single or no vaccine dosage as of yet. She said that the students fail to understand that why is the university reluctant to conduct exams offline, when they are least bothered about our classes. “Universities have denied hostel space to students citing Covid as the reason,” she said.
She said if the students have given online classes, exams should also be conducted online. “We demand exams should be conducted at an earliest,” she said.
“Is vaccine the latest basis of polarization between people?” a protesting student asked.
“A few days ago the university issued a notification for our examinations. Only a few days have been left, how is it possible for us to prepare for the exams within a short period,” another protesting student of B-Tech said.
She said we have almost covered 90 percent of our syllabus online how can we sit in an offline examination center, “We are not ready for the offline exam as of now,” We are demanding the Kashmir University conduct our exams online, she told The Kashmiriyat.
“Everyone knows that Covid cases are increasing and “How is it safe for us to attend offline exams? Why are they forcing us to put our lives in danger?” she asked.
We appeal to the authorities to postpone our offline exam and roll out a new date sheet notification for online exams.“ We have urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene in the matter,” one of the protesting students said.
Students from various other universities too have been demanding online exams.
On November 23, The student bodies at Panjab University (PU) held a protest outside the office of vice-chancellor Raj Kumar on Monday demanding that upcoming semester exams be conducted in online mode.
Days later, Panjab University (PU) said that it will conduct the upcoming semester examinations in online mode. This is the fourth time since the pandemic broke out that the semester exams will be held online.
Pressing for online examinations, students staged a three-hour protest at Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College last week.
On Monday, the students of Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalya (RGPV) Madhya Pradesh, protested against university’s decision of holding exams offline.
The Kashmiriyat spoke to the dean of the College who said that the order had come from the “higher ups” to conduct offline exams. “we are not the deciding authority, it is the higher ups who decide exams, not us,” she said.
The Dean further said that the students are protesting in an open space. “Are they not scared about the spread of infection at an open space?” she asked.