DUTA writes to PM against Open Book Examination for DU

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 17

The Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Human Resource Development Ministry, (HRD) and DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi on holding Open Book Examination (OBE) for students.

The association had initiated an online petition to oppose the university’s decision to conduct online open-book examinations for the terminal-semester year students.

The petition that garnered 15,701 signatures was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi with copies to the Minister of the HRD, to the chairperson the UGC, and to the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University.

The signatories point out the highly discriminatory nature of the exercise towards a large section of students with drastically unequal access to books and resources, offline as well as online. The petitioners also expressed their anguish at the complete lack of concern towards the special needs of physically-challenged students.

Further, the petition highlights the point that the sanctity of the examination process itself stands compromised as the university could not prevent the use of dishonest means, and will be effectively penalising honest students.

Rajib Ray, president, Delhi University Teachers Association, said: “This is not a normal situation. Generally, we do not write to the Prime Minister, but today, the context is different here. Many central universities are going in for evaluating students on the basis of their previous examination.”

The DUTA has been consistently opposing the move as this decision has been taken unilaterally, without consultation with stakeholders and overlooking the serious infirmities pointed out repeatedly by several departments as well as individual teachers.

It was indeed a matter of regret that the university had also disregarded the opinion of nearly 52,000 students, gathered by the DUTA in its online survey-cum-referendum, the president of the association added.

As much as 85 per cent of the respondents had expressed their opposition to this idea for a variety of reasons.

Ray said it was equally unfortunate that the university had turned a blind eye to the stress and anxiety faced by our students due to the uncertainties regarding health and livelihood caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The DUTA believes that at such times, it is the duty of the educators to be sensitive towards the physical and mental well-being of students instead of forcing them towards iniquitous, short-sighted and cruel experiments like the Online Open Book Exam,” Ray added.