Bihar: Students stuck in same course, late exam cycle adds to misery

Students shared that they were desperate to write the exams for clearing backlogs but due to the inactive approach of the state varsities, they are stuck in the same course despite completion of their academic session.

Thousands of students are likely to miss the opportunity to take admission in the new academic session beginning from 2021 as they are yet to appear in the final examination of their current course.

Representational image. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

Students shared that they were desperate to write the exams for clearing backlogs but due to the inactive approach of the state varsities, they are stuck in the same course despite completion of their academic session.

Atul Kumar, a student of Patliputra University (PPU), said, “I took admission in MSc in 2018-2020 session. My academic session has lapsed by more than a year. I have just written two-semester exams. If the exam cycle remains so, it will take me four years to complete the two-year course.”

Another BEd student Farheen Naz of PPU said that she was apprehensive of missing the chance of taking admission in MA due to delayed academic sessions.

“I took admission in BEd course for academic session 2019-21. I have not taken a single exam so far. I wish to take admission in a post-graduate course this year but the situation is not favorable. For taking admission in PG, I have to produce the final marks sheet,” she rued.

Similar situation is being faced by students of Magadh University and Nalanda Open University (NOU).

Kundan Kashyap, a BSc student of Magadh University, said, “I was enrolled in BSc course in 2017-2020 session. I took the exam three months back but my final result has not been published yet. I have already lost one year due to stretch in the academic calendar.”

Another student of 2019-21 batch Aman Kumar, who took admission in PG vocational course in NOU, said, “As per norms, I would have completed my course by March-April this year but unfortunately I have not taken a single exam nor did my varsity promote me to the second year. I am eager to take the exam as I aspire to appear for NET in the June cycle. However, I am not eligible to register without completing the first-year exam.”

“I passed my bachelor's exam in May 2019 and there is no further progress in my educational qualification because of the delay in the exam cycle,” he added.

On the other hand, varsities blamed the Covid-19 outbreak for the delay in the academic calendar.

Officials of NOU said that they are conducting exams in a systematic manner. “We have scheduled final year exam first so that the students complete their course at the earliest. Also, we have scheduled exams of different courses in two shifts to save time. After completion of final year exams, semester exams of subsequent batches will be conducted. We are likely to finish all pending exams by June,” said a senior official.

PPU’s controller of exam Pravin Kumar said, “We have conducted exams for traditional undergraduate courses and soon the results will be published. We are also preparing an exam schedule to clear all the pending exams, including BEd, MEd, and law courses.”