5th sem TDC student of Lalit Jain College test +ve; Principal worried, University seems aloof!

April 21: Covid-19 now seems to have cast its spell upon the college students who are appearing in the TDC (CBCS) Odd Semester Examination. After GC College, NC Paul Memorial College, Karimganj College, now a student of Lalit Jain Commerce College, Meherpur, Silchar was detected as Covid-19 Positive. The 21 years TDC 5th Semester female student has got a travel history. She came from Kolkata to Silchar on 29 March, 2021.

However, after that in the month of April, 2021, her TDC Final examination began. The last exam in which she appeared was on 17 April. After a few days, she started to exhibit Covid symptoms. She was suffering from fever, headache, lost of taste and smell from last 5 days. The girl was also suffering from shortness of breath. Finally, she went for RT-PCR test on 20 April, wherein she was detected as coronavirus positive. Her examination is not over and she is yet to appear in another paper. As per sources, all the family members of the student also tested Covid-19 positive. Unfortunately, as there is no scope of online mode of exam, she would miss her next exam.

Speaking with way2barak, Amarnath Singh, Principal of Lalit Jain Commerce College, Silchar said, “We have got the information. The mother of the student today called us and informed that she has tested positive. We are really very much worried and concerned. Infact, since the commencement of the TDC exam, we have been regularly sanitising our campus. We have also made provision for touchless hand sanitiser for students and staff. Daily before the start of the exam, we do thermal checking of the students before they enter the campus. Inspite of all these precautionary measures, as per govt norms, one of our student was infected with coronavirus.”

When asked about his future course of action, the Principal said, “Tomorrow we are again going to sanitise our entire campus including the classrooms. I do not have power to cancel the exam. But I have communicated this incident to the university authorities. It is the Assam University which can take a final call whether to temporarily suspend the exam or conduct it in any other mode. But at least I can say this that I along with our management is really worried about the health issues of our students and staff.”

Meanwhile, Assam University seems to be little concerned about more and more students getting contaminated by Covid-19. Issuing a notice that those infected with Covid should stay back home and do not come for exams until and unless they test negative, the university seems to have finished its responsibility. Even the district administration has expressed the apprehension in a letter addressed to the college Principals that the conduct of Offline exam can be risky. College Teachers too have written to the Vice Chancellor about the risk involved in conduct of the remaining papers. But the University authorities seems to be totally indifferent to all such concerns. Not willing to be named, a guardian of a student who studies in GC College, Silchar said, “I could not understand what is going on. Assam University seems to risk both the life and career of our children.”