According to some students who took the paper, the compulsory questions were out of the syllabus and based on Centre’s schemes, which is unprecedented.
Lucknow University’s third-year B.Com students were left surprised Saturday after seven out 10 compulsory questions in the ‘Indian economic structure’ question paper were about policies of the NDA government at the Centre. The questions — of four marks each in the 100-mark paper — asked students to define Centre’s schemes like Pradhanmantri Fasal Beema Yojna, Digital India, Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojna, Bharat ki Shuruat (Startup India), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojna and Pradhanmantri Jan Dhan Yojna.
The remaining questions in the category asked the students to define seasonal unemployment, causes of industrial sickness and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). The examination was attempted by at least 8,000 students from the university and all colleges affiliated to it.
While one question from ‘unit-two’ (15 marks) asked students to write about steps the Union government has taken to develop employment opportunities, another from ‘unit-three’ (15 marks) asked to discuss main features of the present industrial policy of the Centre.
According to some students who took the paper, the compulsory questions were out of the syllabus and based on Centre’s schemes, which is unprecedented.
“The first question – compulsory for 40 marks – comprised out of syllabus sub-questions. Instead, it covered current affairs topics related to Indian Economics. Last year too, we had questions on MNREGA, Jan-Dhan Yojna, Start-up India and others, but this year it was too much,” said a B.Com third-year student.
Another student said, “There were two other questions on employment and industrial policy. Though these questions technically fall under the syllabus, one cannot answer it unless they are following the BJP government’s schemes.”
Head of the Applied Economics Department, Rajiv Maheshwari said, “This is unnecessarily being politicised. It is totally logical for us to ask questions related to government schemes in the Indian economic structure question paper and all the topics are related to it directly. Also, for a student, it is important to know about new schemes in the country,” he said. Lucknow University Vice-Chancellor S P Singh declined to comment.