JOIN US300 Dyal Singh students stopped from taking exams
About 300 students at Delhi University's Dyal Singh College (Morning) are being held back from moving up to the next semester due to shortage of attendance.
Names of 243 students, mostly from the first and second year have been put up on the college website. Teachers said more names will be added in the next few days, taking the number to over 300.
Detained students said many were given admit cards and were in the beginning allowed to sit for the semester-end November-December exams.
“I have 57 per cent attendance in the third semester (second year). I am in the
college football team but I was not admitted under the sports quota. Several colleges like Sri Venkateswara gave sports benefit to its students,” said Vipin, a BSc Physical Science student.
Vipin said he attempted the first exam and was detained for the rest. He said 17 students from his class and 16 of his juniors have not been allowed to take this semester-end exam.
According to DU rules students should have 67 per cent attendance in each semester to sit for the exam.
Recently, after hundreds of students in DU colleges were stopped from taking the exams, the registrar said while there will be no changes in the attendance criteria, the colleges should look into the matter and “take steps for the welfare of students”.
According to Dyal Singh students, the college principal has said with no written notification sent to him for relaxation of the rules, there was little he could do.
Teachers said the semester ended on November 17 and the exams started by November 20, leaving little time to calculate attendance.
“The final calculations are being completed now. In many cases students have taken all their exams and are being told that their papers will not be checked,” a Dyal Singh teacher said.
Several other colleges have lowered the minimum attendance required.
Another student of second year BSc (Physics) has been detained after attempting three out of four papers.
“I have 62 per cent attendance. Along with a few other students, I also met the vice chancellor who assured us that he will talk to the principal. Students who have a few points less than the minimum attendance per cent are also detained,” said the student.
Will meet VC
The students are planning to meet VC Dinesh Singh on Thursday at weekly interaction begun by him last week.
Over 120 students are being held back in the first semester. Teachers fear that these students will have to waste a year and then get admission in the four-year graduation course to be implemented next year, thus losing two years.
The teacher argued that the minimum required attendance of 67 per cent used to be the total over three years in the annual exams system.
Last minute classes
“Also, the semester classes were going on till the last minute. Very few colleges came out with a monthly attendance chart to inform students to make up their attendance,” the teacher said.
Principal I S Bakshi said students under the extra curricular activities quota have been given the attendance relaxation.
“We are doing whatever we can. I don’t have any idea about other colleges giving relaxation or not. But as per the university ordinances a student has to attend two-third of the classes,” Bakshi said.