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PU mulls online exam for Afghan students
The Afghan students enroled at PU have been awaiting visa approvals for months, but the timeline for the same still remains unclear.
In a bid to help Afghan students of exit semesters enrolled with Panjab University (PU) who missed the recently-held semester examinations after being unable to secure visas to India, the varsity is planning to hold the exams online for them.
A varsity panel has recommended that an online proctored exam be conducted by the departments for the students, but an official announcement is awaited. The decision came after a number of the Afghan students requested the varsity to allow for online exams.
Speaking about the same, a senior university official said, “Keeping in view their visa problem we considered the requests of the Afghan students. They all expressed helplessness. The idea is to ask the departments to manage the online proctored examination for these students.”
“The online examination will be held for exit semester students and a special chance to appear in the exam will be given to the remaining students later,” officials said.
The students have been awaiting visa approvals for months, but the timeline for the same still remains unclear. They had raised apprehensions after a circular was issued by the office of PU’s dean international students in May, stating that all students, both Indian and international, are required to appear for the offline examination scheduled from June.
There are nearly 100 Afghan students enrolled in different varsity departments and affiliated colleges. Almost half of them are in their final semester. They have been unable to return to India since the country’s takeover by the Taliban last year.
Abdul Monir Kakar, a representative of Afghan students in Chandigarh said the people of Afghanistan will appreciate the kind gesture, adding, “The sudden regime change in Afghanistan had affected the Afghan students studying in India as Indian embassy was not able to continue consular visa services for Afghan students who wanted to join their colleges and Universities in India.”
“With this decision, the students will regain their lost confidence and will find an instrument for the newly developed environment,” he added.
