NAGPUR: Vasantrao Naik Government Institute of Arts and Social Sciences, one of the oldest colleges and also known as Morris College, has shown complete insensitivity in conducting the winter exams by carrying out construction works while students were appearing for different papers on its premises.
On Tuesday, many students complained to TOI about the irritation and distraction they have been facing at the exam centre since the start of their winter exams being conducted by the Nagpur University (NU).
When TOI visited the college during the second shift at 2.30pm, construction works were in full swing with the concrete work for new classrooms going on at the rear of its junior college building and fabrication works inside the corridors. Around 30 labourers, a concrete mixer and frequent noise of iron pipe-cutting made a mockery of the exams. Papers for BSc third semester Physics, Zoology, and MA first semester Marathi were underway in most of the classrooms of the junior college building.
"There is already so much noise pollution happening in the city. There was no respite from the same even inside the exam centre. Since the moment we reached the exam hall, we were hoping the noise would die down but it went on and on," aggrieved students said.
Academicians said as per the guidelines for examinations, an examinee is eligible for a conducive ambience at the centre. "An examinee doesn't have a second chance while the premises would be available to the Public Works Department (PWD) for as many days it wants," they said.
The students added that it became difficult to even read the question paper for some time. "Realizing there is no respite, I somehow managed to focus on the exam," a student said.
Institute director Sunetra Patil said she was not aware of the incident but PWD officials were specifically instructed to not carrying any heavy construction work while the exams were in progress. "The work is going on for the last two or three months. I am not there for the last five or six days in the college since vacation were going on. We will check with the college staff," she said.
Director, Board of Examinations and Evaluation Neeraj Khaty said the college will be asked to stop the work immediately. "Had they told us about the construction, we would have assigned less number of students. It is the duty of the principal (in this case director) and exam in-charge to make seating arrangements in a conducive area," he said.
While the institute is building new classrooms and railings for visually challenged across the corridors, no such activity is taking place at the senior college building. The examinees would have been saved of the plight had the institute shifted the exam works there, students said.
On Tuesday, many students complained to TOI about the irritation and distraction they have been facing at the exam centre since the start of their winter exams being conducted by the Nagpur University (NU).
When TOI visited the college during the second shift at 2.30pm, construction works were in full swing with the concrete work for new classrooms going on at the rear of its junior college building and fabrication works inside the corridors. Around 30 labourers, a concrete mixer and frequent noise of iron pipe-cutting made a mockery of the exams. Papers for BSc third semester Physics, Zoology, and MA first semester Marathi were underway in most of the classrooms of the junior college building.
"There is already so much noise pollution happening in the city. There was no respite from the same even inside the exam centre. Since the moment we reached the exam hall, we were hoping the noise would die down but it went on and on," aggrieved students said.
Academicians said as per the guidelines for examinations, an examinee is eligible for a conducive ambience at the centre. "An examinee doesn't have a second chance while the premises would be available to the Public Works Department (PWD) for as many days it wants," they said.
The students added that it became difficult to even read the question paper for some time. "Realizing there is no respite, I somehow managed to focus on the exam," a student said.
Institute director Sunetra Patil said she was not aware of the incident but PWD officials were specifically instructed to not carrying any heavy construction work while the exams were in progress. "The work is going on for the last two or three months. I am not there for the last five or six days in the college since vacation were going on. We will check with the college staff," she said.
Director, Board of Examinations and Evaluation Neeraj Khaty said the college will be asked to stop the work immediately. "Had they told us about the construction, we would have assigned less number of students. It is the duty of the principal (in this case director) and exam in-charge to make seating arrangements in a conducive area," he said.
While the institute is building new classrooms and railings for visually challenged across the corridors, no such activity is taking place at the senior college building. The examinees would have been saved of the plight had the institute shifted the exam works there, students said.
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