As varsities gear up, Tharoor urges CM to defer univ exams

Thiruvananthapuram: MP Shashi Tharoor has once again appealed the state government to postpone all ongoing and upcoming university examinations until the state comes out of the pandemic-induced health emergency.
Tharoor’s appeal to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday comes after UGC and CBSE suggested scrapping of final year examination in view of the pandemic condition prevailing all across the country. “I am writing to you once again on behalf of students enrolled in major universities in the state, including Kerala University, Kerala Technological University and Mahatma Gandhi University. I have received over 3,500 emails this week alone from anxious students highlighting the immense strain they are currently under due to the decision taken by the management of these respective universities to conduct examinations amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.”
“...students in the state have been facing considerable difficulties on account of these decisions. For one, with number of cases in the state rising again, there is a strong health hazard that these students will have to contend with while leaving their homes for examination centres and appearing for their exams. Many of these centres are located in regions that have been classified as hotspots. Reduced frequency of public transport, closure of internet cafes, mandatory social distancing protocol have posed a string obstacle for our students. With majority of these students living with their parents and other elderly family members, there is naturally the worry of spreading the virus among high-risk groups. These challenges have cumulatively posed a string impediment to our students to perform their true potential,” Tharoor said in his letter addressed to Vijayan.
“While I recognize that it is important for us as a society to learn to live with the virus, we must also recognize that it is imperative that we continue to do our best to limit and reduce avoidable risks to the extent possible. Examinations should be postponed till such tie as the current situation subsides or alternatively, a substitute model for grading and evaluations must be considered and adopted keeping in mind these extraordinary conditions,” Tharoor said in his appeal to CM.
The appeal of former junior minister for MHRD coincided with Kerala Technological University’s announcement that it has made massive arrangements for conducting examinations by not compromising any of the Covid regulation.
The varsity is set to conduct BTech Hons examinations on Friday and BTech final semester examinations on July 1. The university said it has set up a Covid war room to ensure that examinations are conducted by strictly adhering to Covid regulations. Meanwhile, candidates who attend the ongoing LLB examinations under Kerala University complain that no social distancing norms or health hygiene practices are followed in the conduct of examination.