Promote us without exams, say VTU students

Students in colleges affiliated to the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) are demanding that they be promoted to the next class without conducting examinations.

The students have started an online campaign for the same. The nationwide lockdown has delayed the examination process at all universities, including VTU.

As per the annual calendar issued by VTU, the academic year was to conclude on May 30 and the examinations were supposed to be held in June. The lockdown has affected the entire schedule and examinations are now expected to be held in August or September.

Currently, the classes are being conducted online. "Many of us have missed the classes due to poor internet connectivity in rural areas. How can we appear for the exams without attending classes," say some students.

"I have returned to my native place as I was asked to vacate my hostel room. My college is conducting online classes. But most of the days, I am missing my classes," said one of the students in the final semester.

Another student said, "the government should intervene and consider our request. It should direct the university to promote us without any evaluation."

"Promoting students without any evaluation is not acceptable. Instead of promoting them, universities can conduct offline classes once normalcy returns and conduct the exams," says Prof K R Venugopal, Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University, also a former senior faculty at University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Bengaluru.

However, officials from VTU said, "the government has to make a decision since it is a demand before most of the universities."