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Demanding online exams: Protesting PAU students to boycott Punjab assembly elections
Following the varsity decision to deny their demands for online exams, protesting PAU students will boycott the Punjab assembly elections
Talks for online exams between students and authorities of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) came to no fruition. Now, a day before the state assembly elections, protesting undergraduates, particularly students from second and third year, have given a call to boycott the electoral exercise to be held on Sunday.
Speaking about the decision, the protesting students said university officials had agreed to take online exams but put forth a few conditions. Elaborating, BSc second year student Amitoz Singh, said, “Authorities stated that the students will not be allowed to take online exams while sitting at home.”
He said the venue for the online exams had not been specified, adding that the authorities put forth a few other such conditions as well. “So ultimately it was decided to boycott the elections. We have even carried out a march during the event to bring the matter to the notice of the election commission,” he added.
The announcement of offline exams had triggered massive protests over the last week, but officials have maintained that exams would only be taken offline or through a third party.
Despite repeated attempts, no official response was received from the university.
PAU teachers’ union president Dr HS Kingra, meanwhile, said that proper discussion should help resolve the issue, addind, “We will speak to the protesting students on monday and try to end the current impasse.”
