The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, asked the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) administration how they could hold exams through e-mail and WhatsApp if the classes for the semester were not held. “Classes were not held. So what is the purpose of having exams if the students were not instructed? Purpose of exams is to evaluate what the students have learned,” said Justice Rajiv Shakdher.
JNU’s decision to hold online exams for the monsoon semester was challenged before the HC by students, who had not taken such tests, and several JNU professors.
JNU professors and students challenged the varsity’s decision to conduct end-semester examinations for the 2019 monsoon semester through an alternative mode of uploading question papers on the university’s website or sending them to students by email and receiving answer sheets through emails and Whatsapp messages.
The HC, taking note of it, asked the Board of Studies of the various schools and special centres in JNU to convene and give recommendations on how the remaining classes of monsoon semester can be held and how exams can be conducted, reports The Indian Express.
It also asked the Board to forward its recommendations to JNU’s academic council and to place a copy before the court prior to the next date of hearing on February 4.
JNU’s representatives, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand and advocates Kushal Kumar and Akash Deep Gupta, told the court the varsity was willing to hold extra classes.
However, to go through entire process of holding exams from start would lead to waste of time as the winter session has already commenced, the ASG, who appeared for JNU, told the court.
The petitions have contended that the circulars have been issued without consultation with the faculty members.
The petition, filed through advocates Samiksha Godiyal and Abhik Chimni, opposed the varsity’s circular directing the professors to commence course work for 2020 winter semester, saying the directions were issued on instructions of the Vice Chancellor in exercise of his extraordinary powers under the JNU Act and the statutes of the University.