After around 76 hours, protest withdrawn at Assam Univ, exam to be held in blended mode

Feb. 18: Ultimately, after more than three days of disruption of normal academic and administrative activities by a group of students, the main gate of Assam University was opened for all on Friday afternoon. Since Tuesday morning, some students of the Undergraduate level (UG) of Assam University suddenly blocked the main entrance and sat for protest demonstration in front of the main gate raising slogans to conduct their ensuing Odd Semester Examination in offline mode. Finally, on Friday, the agitating students agreed to the proposal of University authorities in conducting their examination in blended mode.

Earlier, since Tuesday, rounds of talks between them and the University authorities failed to yield any solution to the issue. On Tuesday, the students even refused to have any dialogue with the university authorities and rather demanded that an order be issued specifying conduct of their exam in online mode. The students then stated that due to pandemic, their courses have not been completed. If at all exams are to be taken in offline mode, then offline classes should be conducted now for atleast 2 months. They also said that in some departments, exams will be conducted in online mode, but in others it was notified to take the exams in offline mode. They regarded it as a discrimination against them.

Repeated appeal by the University authority to sit for discussion was refused by the agitating students on Tuesday. Even the Vice Chancellor came near the main gate and tried to pacify the students, but in vain. However, on Wednesday afternoon, the agitating students agreed to take part in the discussion with the authority. The meeting that began on Wednesday afternoon in the Old Guest House of Assam University continued till around 8 PM.

At the outset, Assam University agreed to conduct the UG Odd Semester Exam in blended mode (both online & offline). However, they added that the online exams will be conducted by means of a proctored software. A proctored software allows the examination conducting body to monitor online the students so that no unfair means could be adopted. It was here that the students raised severe objection and refused to appear in proctored online examination. They rather demanded that the online exam be conducted either through Google Meet platform or WhatsApp, which was again unacceptable to the University authorities. The University authorities were of the view that platforms like Google Meet are for conducting meeting or classes etc. but not at all for conducting online examinations.

It was then that the students’ representatives present in the meeting raised another issue. They demanded that re-evaluation of their proctored answer scripts should be allowed for they feared that injustice might be meted out to them in the exam for participating in the protest demonstration. It was then informed by the authorities present that as per a decision of the Academic Council, re-evaluation of answer scripts of all online examination conducted by Assam University was not allowed. Thus, the meeting on Wednesday remained inconclusive due to difference of opinion on two major issues: proctored online software & re-evaluation of answer scripts of online exam.

After the marathon meeting with the students failed on Wednesday, Dr PK Nath, Registrar of Assam University issued a notification, wherein he stated that the blockade of the main entrance gate to the University or blockade in entry to other premises of the University is illegal and rather asked them to  shift to the compound of Netaji Subhash Mukta Mancha. The Registrar also stated that offline classes for all courses in all semesters of the University departments shall remain suspended wef 17.02.2022 until further order.

On Thursday, these and several other allied issues came up for discussion among the students and the University authorities. After prolonged discussion, the students were learnt to have agreed to the proctored mode of online examination. At a time, when it was thought that the problem would be solved, just then another argument started on the issue of date of commencement of the Odd Semester Examination. The University authorities then informed the students that it would take atleast 45 days to begin the examination, because the process of procuring a full proof proctored software is a lengthy process. Therefore, the exam would begin in the month of April.

This was resented by the students, who stated that if online exams are held after 45 days, that is, in the month of April, then it would be a matter of great loss because then their next semester would be further deferred. It was on this ground that the students raised the demand that their odd semester exam should be conducted by 31 March. It was then that the students alleged that the Registrar raised the issue of whether they have the mandate of mass students in conducting the exam in offline mode. Things again came to a standstill and the students decided to continue their agitation on Friday.

Finally, on Friday, when the agitation by blocking the main entrance was going on, another group of students primarily from the School of Technology (SOT) demanded to open the gate as they wanted to go to their department for academic purposes. It was then that the University authority sat in a dialogue with both the students’ groups in the Old Guest House of Assam University, which was chaired by the Vice Chancellor Prof. RM Pant. On behalf of the University, Registrar Dr.PK Nath, Controller of Examination Dr S Dutta Roy, Proctor Dr Himadri Sekhar Das, DSW Dr Anindya Syam Choudhury, other senior faculty members took part. Finally, in the meeting, it was agreed that the exams will be held in blended mode (both online & offline).

Registrar Dr PK Nath, while addressing the students said, “In the presence of Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, officials, teachers, non-teaching staff and students, I like to announce that after hearing the concerns of the agitating students (in demand of online exam) and other students who wanted normalcy and continuation of offline classes (& offline exam), the University authority has agreed to conduct the ensuing Odd Semester examination of university departments in blended mode. The offline exam will be held as per schedule already notified. As regards online mode of exam, a committee for this purpose will be constituted by the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor. The online exam will be taken in a proctored mode. To enable proctored mode, we may require sometime and at this moment it is not feasible on our part to specify date for the online mode of exam. Once things are prepared, we will take mock test of the proctored software and then notify the commencement of online exam.”

The Registrar further stated, “I think as this is acceptable to all, so I request the agitating students to kindly clear the main entrance to the University immediately so that normalcy can be restored. We have the right to protest but we cannot infringe upon others right.”

So finally after around 76 hours, the protest was withdrawn by the agitating students on Friday afternoon and the main gate was opened. As normalcy finally returned back, Dr PK Nath, Registrar of Assam University issued a notification stating resumption of offline classes from 19 February. He also stated, “Separate revised notifications for conduct of odd semester-end examinations will follow soon.”