DU teachers against online tests, propose rescheduling of exams after lockdown is lifted

Several Delhi University teachers’ outfits on Wednesday proposed the rescheduling of papers till after the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted from the city.

Several Delhi University teachers’ outfits on Wednesday proposed the rescheduling of papers till after the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions are lifted from the city.

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The teachers cited concerns of accessibility over the possibility of the examinations being held online, one of the several methods that Delhi University was considering to tide over the ongoing academic crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic in the city.

Delhi University has been shut since March 19, when Covid-19 cases started to surge in the city. Delhi so far has seen 2,248 cases of the virus and 48 deaths.

In a letter to the vice-chancellor on Wednesday, Sachin Maheshwari, Dean of Faculty of Technology, said that the need of the hour was to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. “Almost all the IITs have advanced their summer vacations rather than hastily pushing for online semester evaluation/examination for their students, especially, when, the student is sitting at home,” he pointed out.

Citing a 2017 Supreme Court order, Maheshwari also said, “Earning credits through distance mode, especially for engineering-related courses, may have its own legal implications, besides many quality-related considerations.”

One of teachers’ group — Academics for Action and Development (AAD) — in its letter to the vice chancellor, also pointed out that the varsity’s statutory bodies — like executive council and academic council — should be approached before taking decisions on how to conduct the examination.

“The university should wait for students to come back to Delhi after the lockdown has been lifted, give them a few days of actual teaching, before commencing the examination process,” they said in a statement on Wednesday. “In the prevailing worldwide pandemic circumstances, mental and physical health is paramount and academic calendar must be contingent on the evolving scenario of humanity’s fight against Covid-19.”

The group also raised concerns over cybersecurity issues after several instances of inappropriate behaviour and hacking cropped up during the online classes conducted via videoconferencing.

Another teachers’ group — National Democratic Teachers’ Front — has also objected to online exams citing the digital divide and poor connectivity in different parts of the country. “In such conditions, even dreaming about online examinations will be disastrous,” the group said in a statement asking the administration to provide “honest feedback” to University Grants (UGC) Commission. The UGC has constituted a panel to look into ways to mitigate academic loss during the Covid-19 lockdown. The committee is expected to submit its report soon.

Last week, the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) had also written to the V-C on the matter. They too recommended conducting exams only after the university reopens, with a priority given to final year students.

DU vice chancellor Yogesh Tyagi did not respond to requests for a comment on the matter.

“For a large university, such as DU, an online examination system is not viable. The university neither has the infrastructure nor the capability of providing/ensuring a level playing field in terms of accessibility and ease to the diverse student population it caters to,” DUTA president Rajib Ray had said then.