Students, who are scheduled to take their examination at designated examinations centres next week, on Friday urged cluster university authorities here to review decision regarding offline mode of examination.
The government has already barred “in-person” teaching in colleges, schools, polytechnics, ITIs, Coaching Centres for Civil Services, Engineering or NEET etc.
“While teaching cannot happen, how on earth examinations are conducted when there is alarming surge in Covid-19 cases and spread of its highly infectious Omicron variant,” said a student who is scheduled to appear in 5th semester examinations beginning January 18.
On Sunday last, the State Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta asked all educational instructions to adopt online medium of teaching.
Since then there has been spurt in covid-19 cases and active cases have already surged to more than eight thousand. Also there has been confirmation of as many as 23 Omicron, the highly transmissible variant of the covid-19.
“Even the High Court of J&K and Ladakh has started online mode of hearing and strictly prohibited the entry of litigants and public inside the court premises in view of what has been observed to be ‘alarming surge in the covid-19 cases by the Chief Justice,” another student, also tipped to take examination beginning January 18, said. The student urged government to interfere into the matter and ensure that the purpose behind its order barring “in-person” teaching is not defeated. “The essence of the order is to prevent assembly of people and when it is served by barring in-person teaching, how it cannot be defeated by in-person examination,” the student asked and urged the government to interfere and ensure that no in-person examinations are conducted by the concerned varsities or other educational institutions.
“Our last few semesters were conducted through online mode and as such same mode shall be adopted this time around for large public interest and student good in keeping with upsurge in the covid-19 cases.”
Meanwhile despite repeated attemps controller examinations Cluster university Srinagar could not be contacted for comments. (GNS)