Agitation for online exam: Addl Dist Magistrate writes to Registrar & Principals to address the issue

April 4: The deferred examination of TDC (CBCS) Odd Semester (1st, 3rd & 5th) will now be conducted in the month of April, 2021. The exam will begin on 8 April and come to an end on 15 May, 2021. Similarly, the deferred exam of B.Ed and LL.B will also take place from 6 April. As per a notification issued by the Controller of Examinations of Assam University, the said examinations will be conducted in offline mode. However, the students sharply reacted to the issue of conducting the said examinations in offline mode and raised a strong demand to conduct the exam in online mode.

On 3 April, students of different colleges assembled near the Khudiram Statue in Silchar with banners and posters in their hands. The agitating students sat on the middle of the road and blocked the road. Circle Officer of Silchar along with OC of Silchar Police Station intervened and tried to pacify the agitating students but in vain. This resulted in traffic jam thereby causing problems to many. However, none from the side of the colleges nor from the university were present there to have a dialogue with the students.

It is in this regard, that the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Cachar issued a letter addressed to the Registrar of Assam University and Principal of all Colleges of Cachar district on 4 April. In the letter, it was written, “This has reference to the day long road blockade done by your students on 3 April, 2021 at various places in Silchar Town and thereby causing great public inconvenience and law and order situation. There is also very much apprehension of similar activities being taken up by your students in the next few days.”

Saying so, the ADM wrote, “In this regard you are to ensure that internal problems of your institutions must be resolved within the campus and must not cause public inconvenience. You are also asked to be present on the spot if any such activity is repeated and address the issues raised by your students and take immediate necessary action. To resolve them in order to avoid and law and order situation and to ensure safety and security of your students.”

Meanwhile, the Controller of Examination of Assam University said, “”We have already prepared the exam schedule. But if we get email from the College Principals about conducting exam in online mode, then we will conduct a meeting of the Principals, wherein we will decide the future course of action. But if we get 1 or 2 mails, then in that case no meeting will be done and we will continue with the normal offline schedule of examination.”

Expressing his reaction, Principal of GC College said, “”We are here to conduct the examinations as notified by the affiliating Assam university. In last semester too, the Academic Council of the varsity decided to conduct the exam in both online and offline mode and so we did it. In this case, the decision making authority is the university. So naturally, the students have appealed to the University to conduct their exam in online mode. The students have not written to the college Principals about it. So naturally, the decision has to be taken by Assam University and not by the College Principals. We will do as directed by the University.”

Also Read: For conducting exam in online mode, appeal should come from the Principals: COE