JNUSU criticises online entrance system

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 24

The newly-elected Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) today accused JNU vice-chancellor Prof Jagadesh Kumar of “acting arbitrarily and unilaterally” in the proposed move to introduce the online entrance examination in JNU from next academic year (2019-20) claiming the move opens the possibility of “leaks and malpractices”.

JNUSU president Sai Balaji questioned the presence of two faculty members, who are accused of plagiarism in the committee that recommended switching to online mode and multiple-choice questions in place of subjective pattern, something that will “fail” to comprehensively evaluate the “thinking and writing abilities” of students, especially vital to research in humanities and social sciences.

The system, if implemented, will put students from rural areas and marginalised backgrounds at a disadvantage, Balaji claimed.

JNUSU vice-president Sarika expressed strong reservation over the fact that the administration will not only “proof read” the questions set by the JNU faculty, but would have access to “answer keys” as well making the entire entrance process prone to malpractices and leaks.

“We are aware of massive glitches and leaks in NEET, SSC and even in the recently held DU online exams. Why should the administration proof-read questions submitted by JNU teachers, that too with the answers in their hand?” she asked adding the proposed move will jeopardise future of thousands of aspirants each year.

“Conduct of exam outsourced to private vendors, with admin demanding answer keys months before exam — violating the existing time-tested robust procedures — raise serious concerns about breach of security,” said Aejaz, general secretary, JNUSU.

As per JNUSU, all statutory rules and democratic process have being “violated” in the entire planning of the online exam (JNUEE) — allegations denied by the JNU administration.

They have alleged that the administration pushed through the proposed JNUEE first in the academic council meeting without taking into account the opinions of centres and chairpersons of centres as the recommendations by the university-constituted committee were not shared with centre chairpersons as is the norm, but only to Deans of various schools, which do not have any "legal standing to deliberate or decide on this agenda.

In the latest, the Deans of schools have approved the recommendations on the implementation of the circular on the JNUEE noting the dissent of two deans and have asked centres to set up exam committees within a week as instructed by the administration.

“Each paper will be set by a three member committee. The coordinator of each committee will pick questions from a question bank and will provide these in a pen drive given by the admissions branch, and later store securely,” claimed Amutha, joint secretary of JNUSU.