Final-year students of state-run varsities in a fix

Jalandhar, July 29

While the state universities have not promoted the final-year batches, students of most Centre-run institutes and private universities have an edge as their results have been declared and a majority of them have got jobs too.

The final-year students of all state-run universities and affiliated colleges are in a dilemma for over three weeks now regarding the examination.

When Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on July 4 announced that no examination would be held and the result of the students should be declared on the previous assessments, there was a sense of relief among the students and parents. However, days later the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development said the examination would have to be held. On July 11, the CM wrote to the Prime Minister, asking him to get the UGC guidelines on conducting examination reviewed. Since then, there has been no clarity and the state government is yet to take a final call.

Anurag Duggal, a final-year student of BSc (Non-medical) at Doaba College, said, “The delay is affecting me badly. My family is facing a financial crisis due to the Covid-19 outbreak and I desperately need a job. I am not able to get a good job as employers insist on seeing the final-year certificate first.”

Abhishek Jamwal, an MA final-year student, said, “I wanted to apply for BEd, but I am stuck as my final exams have not been held yet.”

Dr Sucharity, principal, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, said, “Students are confused as no decision has been taken for over two months now. We keep flagging their concern in our online meetings with officials of Guru Nanak Dev University, but they say the government will take the final call.”

Dean (Academics), GNDU, Manoj Kumar, said, “The decision is to be taken by the state government and university is bound by its order”. Same was the reply of Vice Chancellor Dr Ajay Sharma of IKG Punjab Technical University.

As confusion prevails in the state-run universities, Centre-owned institutes like Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology and private universities have held assessments and issued detailed marks certificate to the students.

Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology director Dr LK Awasthi said, “We have already declared the result on the basis of students” previous semester weightage, viva and projects. We are in the process of issuing detailed marks certificate to them. Most of our students have already joined new jobs”.

Likewise, private universities are through with their final-year assessment. Additional director public relations of Lovely Professional University Aman Mittal said, “We conducted a proper online examination of all students. Our teams with the help of artificial intelligence in the form of cameras, audio mode, screen checks, etc. monitored them when they appeared for the examination. A mock test drill too was held to acquaint the students with the system. The exams went off so smoothly that some government universities have been seeking our help regarding it. A small number of students could not appear for the exam owing to no Internet connectivity. We will hold exam for them later.”