Amritsar: Amid teachers’ call for protest, GNDU changes exam centres

Tribune News Service

Neha Saini

Amritsar, May 30

Following an emergency online meeting of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising Aided and Un-Aided College Managements, Principals’ Associations of three state universities, Punjab Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU) on Tuesday, it was decided that all aided and un-aided colleges in the state will remain closed for the next three days.

The managements, principals and college teachers will jointly sit on a protest dharna in front of the gates against the state government’s coercive measures being taken under bureaucratic pressure. They accused the AAP-led state government of adopting arbitrary, discriminatory and coercive steps, which will destroy higher educational institutions in the state. Owing to this announcement, major college in the city, including DAV College, Khalsa College, BBKDAV College and others will remain closed.

Given the announcement made by the PCCTU and college managements to boycott exam duties and remain shut in protest against the state government’s backtracking on centralized portal for admissions, GNDU announced a change in the exam centre schedule on late Tuesday evening.

The university has re-assigned examination centres for all theory and semester examinations that will be conducted by the university from May 31 till June 15. While the university defended this sudden move as a way of saving students from unnecessary disruption of examinations due to protests announced by the PCCTU, members of the PCCTU and GNDU teachers’ unions called it a ‘chaotic’ decision that would result in students’ harassment.

The new centres assigned to students from Chawinda Devi are at Verka. Similarly, the new centres assigned to students from the centres based at Mehta, Rayya, Mattewal, Jandiala Guru and Dhilwan fall in Sathiala. The centres at Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Taragarh and Sujanpur also have been reassigned.

Prof Palwinder Singh, Controller of Examinations, said, “We have tried our best possible to give priority to students’ convenience first. So, we have tried to assign nearest possible centres to students from rural areas. This sudden decision was due to the exam duty boycott announced by the teachers’ associations and we have deployed teaching staff from government colleges and ad hoc staff to conduct the examinations.”

Meanwhile, PCCTU district head Dr Gurdas Sekhon called it a ‘vicious’ move by the university against teachers’ rights. “We do not want students should suffer. Our agitation is against the state government’s dictatorial attitude. Panjab University has postponed their remaining exams in lieu of the current situation. Why can’t GNDU do it?

GNDU authorities are putting students’ academics in danger by this sudden change. What if any student misses out on taking an exam because they are not able to reach the new centres? Some of these new centres are at a distance of 10-15 km from the previous ones, making it difficult for girl students and students from rural areas to commute.”

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