Mandi: Sardar Patel University anti-student, says teachers’ body prez

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Mandi, April 12

Himachal Government College Teachers Association (HGCTA) president Banita Saklani said the functioning of Sardar Patel University (SPU), Mandi, was anti-student and anti-education. The administration of the university was continuously involved in anti-government propaganda, the HGCTA president added.

The university had never been able to declare the results of the examinations on time, nor had it conducted examinations on time, she claimed.

Errors in university’s examination schedule

Just two days ago, the examination schedule was released by the SPU, according to which the examinations will start on May 13. The released programme also contains errors, and some subjects are missing from the table of contents. Also, the dates of examinations have been fixed for the months of May and June. During these days, college teachers will be deployed on election duty and counting centres will be set up in the colleges. At the time of counting of votes, only the employees engaged in counting will be allowed to enter the colleges. In such a situation, the conduct of examinations will be disrupted. — Banita Saklani, president, Himachal Government College Teachers Association (HGCTA)

“The SPU is delaying the conduct of annual examinations for the session 2023-24. Due to this, the upcoming academic session will be completely disrupted. The Education Secretariat releases the academic calendar for colleges every year, under which academic activities are organised in the colleges. According to the calendar, the annual examinations for the academic session of 2023-24 should have been conducted from April 1 to May 23 but SPU has failed to conduct these examinations on time,” she said.

“Just two days ago, the examination schedule has been released by the SPU, according to which the examinations will start from May 13. The released programme also contains errors, and some subjects are missing from a table of contents. Also, the dates of examinations have been fixed for the months of May and June. During these days, college teachers will be deployed on election duty and counting centres will be set up in the colleges. At the time of counting of votes, only the employees engaged in counting will be allowed to enter the colleges. In such a situation, the conduct of examinations will be disrupted,” she added.

“The ongoing examination schedule is proposed to be held from May 14 to June 29. Due to this, the examination evaluation will be done in July-August, and the new session is likely to start in September, which will result in extreme delay in starting the previously scheduled annual programmes,” she said.

“The approach and functioning of the university is completely anti-student. Students and their parents are very angry with the university for the delay in examinations and other activities without any reason. The results of the supplementary examinations were declared by SPU three days ago. The students who had been preparing for their second year examinations throughout the year will now sit for the first year examinations after failing in the results of the supplementary examinations,” she added.

Saklani said, “The SPU started the curriculum development campaign on March 27 this year, despite the fact that the academic session 2023-24 ended the same month. Finalising the syllabus at the end of the session itself seems ridiculous and illogical. Universities often prepare question papers for examinations six months in advance. But the SPU has not completed this work so far and the examination will be held from May 14.”

“Most of the staff will be on election duty in the month of May. Along with this, professors will also have 25 days summer vacation in the month of June. So, how will the exams be held in the month of June?” she said.

“A feeling of doubt about their future is creeping in among the students. MA semester examinations were to be held in December 2023, which were shifted to February-March 2024. As a result, the next semesters for MA and BEd courses started in the month of April — a delay of two months,” she added.

“The government needs to take cognisance of the working system of the university. The university administration is deliberately delaying the examinations of the students to make political gains,” she said.

On its part, the SPU has stated that the government is giving it a step-motherly treatment, and the examinations were delayed due to an acute shortage of staff and resources.