VTU students seek postponement of exams

Thousands of first-semester engineering students, pursuing studies at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), have urged the university authorities to postpone the examinations scheduled to be held from April 19 to May 3.

Several students have approached the principals of the engineering colleges while others took social media to express their anguish. Some of the parents have joined their wards to meet college authorities and request for postponement of examinations.

According to the students, the university has not taken any measures to trim the syllabus despite the pandemic and hurdles to accessing online and offline classes. “This is too early for us to appear for exams as the syllabus has not been completed,” a student said.

“At least, let the university cut the syllabus considering the pandemic. We also urge the university to postpone the exams as the Covid-19 cases are increasing,” another student said.

Taking to the social media to express the anguish a student, by the name Neha, wrote on Twitter, “Cancel the VTU exams for the first-year students as it is extremely difficult for us to come back to college from our hometown in this viral mess. The situation is worsening day by day.”

The students have started a campaign on Twitter with the hashtag #postponevtuexams.

However, the university authorities said there was no question of postponing or cancelling the scheduled exams. Speaking to DH, a senior official of the university said, “We have gathered information from all the colleges and the principals have assured us that the syllabus has been completed. The first semester students have got enough time as the classes were started on December 12 of 2020 and concluded on April 10 of 2021. They got more academic days than usual.”

VTU registrar (evaluation) Dr B Rangaswamy said, “We have directed the colleges to follow the SOP strictly and sanitise classrooms after every use and make necessary arrangements for thermal scanning and hand wash. All safety protocols will be followed during the exams.”

The engineering colleges, which are the examination centres, have been asked to have separate classrooms for students who tested positive for Covid-19 to write the exams and also the PPE kits for examination staff. “We have also insisted to the college principals to keep in touch with doctors at the nearby hospitals for any kind of emergency,” added Rangaswamy.

However, regarding transportation, the university has asked the colleges to provide buses for students, if needed, to attend the exams, owing to the ongoing strike by Road Transport Corporation employees.