Mohsina Malik
Days after the announcement of holding the odd-semester examination in the online proctored mode, Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday released guidelines for the examinations which stated that students need to arrange computers or laptops, good high-speed internet connectivity, uninterrupted power supply during the examination.
The students came to know about the notification through a newspaper article, not from the university itself. The notification has stressed students and the students who said, “the proctored mode of conducting examination” would be “unjust” to underprivileged students of the University.
The students from different parts of India belonging to remote areas and politically disturbed areas having limited digital access and non-availability of facilities at their homes are worried about the procedure of examination. As the guidelines state, the students themselves will be responsible for any lapses during the examination, so they need to keep a backup too.
A proctored exam is that where a student will be monitored by a person (Proctor) ensuring the examination must be given/taken in a fairway. Proctor will monitor the students through their webcam and microphone.
The university said since the student’s webcam and microphone will be used to carry out remote invigilation, any obstruction of the above two during the test “will be deemed to be grounds for cancellation of the examination for that student”.
In the guidelines issued for the odd-semester examinations beginning from December 21, the examination controller said, “Only personal computers or laptops shall be permitted to appear for examinations, not smartphones. However, a smartphone with the camera may be used to click a picture of the answer sheet and upload it on the portal.”
Further, the guidelines stated that students needed to have the latest version of “Firefox Browser, updated Windows, computer or laptop with a stable internet connection and web camera”.
Students are advised to make sure that they make their own arrangements for an uninterrupted power supply and a good internet connection and a separate room for the duration of an examination.
In a letter to the Vice-Chancellor(VC) Najma Akhtar on Thursday, students pointed out that “most students are living with their families currently and everyone doesn’t have the privilege of privacy.
“Students cannot visit cyber cafes as the guidelines state that students must be alone in the room while appearing for the exam. Most of the students studying in Jamia are from underprivileged backgrounds and do not have their own devices like computers or laptops or smartphones. Not everyone can afford data packages or Wi-Fi connection to appear for exams with their webcams on for three hours, for a minimum of five papers,” an undergraduate student of sociology from Deoband told The Kashmiriyat.
In an online meeting attended by around 500 students on Tuesday, students voted for assignment-based examinations instead of the proctored exams and submitted the representation to the university administration on Thursday.
We have 2G internet services in Kashmir and on every second day, there is an internet blockade in our state due to multiple reasons. There is no Wi-Fi connectivity at my home. In winters, we have unscheduled power cuts. How I will arrange everything with less time left, says a student from Anantnag.
Another student from Bihar says I belong to a marginalized background. I can’t afford to buy a laptop or a smartphone and I don’t have access to good internet services in my area. Because of the guidelines issued, my career is at stake, he added.
Some of the students took to Twitter and tweeted with the hashtag “ScrapeOnlineProctoredExam”, the authorities must reconsider the decision or we will boycott the examination.
Simeen Anjum, a student of BFA Applied Art from Delhi, said, we students are against the Proctored mode of examination because it is unfair for the students who don’t have access to gadgets and high-speed internet connectivity.
There are students from different backgrounds and states, the authorities must change their decision and keep every student of University in mind like the students hailing from Jammu and Kashmir who have access to low-speed internet since last year and should take exams in a way which will be fair for all students.
All India Students Association Jamia Millia Islamia Unit has called for a boycott of Proctored examination as the students associated with the association said Jamia administration had denied students dialogue and has displayed a callous disregard for students and basic tenets of Jamia Millia Islamia and issued the guidelines which are highly exclusionary.
“Jamia’s administration had left us with no choice but to call for a boycott of the online proctored semester examination.”
Jamia examination controller told that the grievances of students have been communicated to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and permission sought to make the exams assignments-based.
Safdar Rather, student of B.A Hons in economics, who hails from Srinagar, told Jamia administration issued the notification of taking the examination in online proctored mode, most of the students were against it because some of the students couldn’t attend their online classes due to the internet services in their areas.
On Thursday, the sets of guidelines were issued in which some of the things couldn’t be afforded by underprivileged students. There are students from Kashmir who can’t upload their answer sheet, it is not possible for them to submit their answer sheets within the time because of the slow internet. “I am privileged to have all the facilities at my home, ten more students might be privileged, what about others”, he quoted.
So, the group of students from different departments of the University with unanimous consensus demanded to have assignment based exams and talked to VC and UGC. He added, despite our repeated attempts, vice-chancellor Najma Akhtar did not comment on the matter.
Nearly 10,000 students will be appearing for the upcoming exams. “The University Grants Commission (UGC) had directed that exams cannot be conducted in the assignment mode as was done in the previous semester. That is why we resorted to the proctored mode. We have forwarded the student representation to the UGC and if they allow it, tests will be conducted in the assignment mode,” said examinations controller Nazim Hussain Jafri.
When questioned on how students without laptops or computers or a stable internet would appear for tests, Jafri said, “In today’s times, most students have internet access and devices. Those who do not, can hire such services.”
“I have submitted my ADR’s presentation while sitting on the rooftop of my house because of the network issues in my area. I belong to Bihar, everybody is aware of the problems we face, living here is not easy. My friend living in Samastipur used to sit in the graveyard for attending the online classes,” he told The Kashmiriyat.
“The guidelines state, the student must have a separate room for the duration of the examination, says, Saif ul Islam, a student from Bihar.
On the provision that no one should be present in the room, Jafri said, “The guidelines only serve as a warning against unfair means. If a student appears for a test where there are multiple people in the room, that alone won’t be grounds for cancellation of a paper, unless the student resorts to fraudulent measures.”