Jadavpur University final semester exams for Arts, Science streams will be held online; dates yet to be fixed

Kolkata: Jadavpur University has decided that the final semester examination in the Arts and Science streams will be held online but the date for the tests has not been fixed, an official said on Monday. The faculty meeting of the university on Sunday decided not to fix the date for holding the examination, keeping in mind the Supreme Court directive that if any state thinks about a date other than 30 September for holding the tests, they will have to do that in consultation with the University Grants Commission (UGC), the official said. The meeting, however, resolved to conduct the tests in ‘contactless’ (digital) mode in the two-hour slot whenever the examination takes place, the official said. “Our virtual meeting, which was attended by all faculty members and the VC, pro-VC, among others, resolved that we will not fix a date for the semester examination as done by some other universities, keeping in mind the Supreme Court directive that if any state thinks about a date other than 30 September for holding final semester exams, they have to do that in consultation with the UGC. “Hence, JU is not declaring examination date unilaterally before knowing the UGC response to the state government’s request for fixing a date in October,” the official said. He, however, said that the modalities for conducting final semester examination have been decided in contactless digital mode. “The students will get question papers through WhatsApp and mail a little before the commencement of examination and will have to submit replies after two hours. Maybe a little more time will be given keeping in mind network problems. But that will not comprise the whole day,” he said. Those facing internet issues or not in possession of smartphones will have to arrange to download the question paper and will be allowed to write on paper. But they will have to submit the answer sheet in a sealed envelope within a stipulated time after the examinations are over to one of the designated collection centres of the university. Modalities of the procedure to write answers on sheets and submitting will be chalked out in detail. The faculty council also decided to complete procedure of supplementary tests (tests for students having not attended or failed in previous semesters) and all pending laboratory test by 30 September, he explained. The final semester examination will be held entirely based on the courses completed in the curriculum, he said. The West Bengal Higher Education department had earlier said that final semester examinations will have to be held by universities from 1 October to 18 October either offline or online after the SC quashed a petition and gave go ahead to the UGC for asking universities to mandatorily hold the exams by 30 September. The SC had also observed if any state had a problem in conducting final semester exams by then, it has to take up the issue with UGC for fixing up a later date but complete the exam process nevertheless. Calcutta University recently announced it will be holding the final semester examination from 1-18 October in digital mode.