New Delhi: Delhi University is contemplating online Open Book Examination for the final-year students in case the present situation due to COVID-19 does not improve soon.
The move has drawn considerable criticism from students and teachers fraternity, who have called it “discriminatory” against those who are underprivileged.
In fact, four DU professors have written to President Ram Nath Kovind against the varsity’s arbitrary and autocratic decision which will “push students belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes, economically weaker sections and those with disabilities on the lesser side of digital unavailability,” the letter said.
There has been a clear divide of viewpoints on the matter. While some sections support the university’s decision, others criticise the move.
“The university should think deeper because this is no black or white situation, there are grey lines. While many students can afford digital examinations, there are some who absolutely cannot. The unprivileged ones should be provided with some sort of immunity or alternative modes at the least,” a history professor of DU, Nadeem Shah said.
Since a detailed guideline for OBE has not been released by the university yet, the intricacies of the procedure are all blurred. “There will be technical glitches to this scheme. The process of online procurement of question and answers might not fit into a comfortable duration, as students will need to download and upload Q&A sheets,” another DU professor, Rajshree Dhali told Odisha Bytes.
“Not to forget we have students from the marginalised sections, from far northeast; villages and areas where there may not be proper internet facilities,” she added.
Delhi University has received memorandums from teachers and students’ union stating various different modes of examination that the university could conduct.
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