A section of fourth and sixth semester B.Tech students of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) and their parents have expressed concern at the recent announcement that the April examinations that were postponed in view of the lockdown, have been rescheduled to be held online from July 21.
The announcement was made on July 8, and students have little time to study. Many are yet to prepare, as they have left behind their study material in hostels, in their bid to reach home following the lockdown. Moreover, online classes were not held to cover pending portions. Only assignments were done online as part of internal assessment. All this has left students, especially those from northern States, worried. They have also begun an online campaign bearing a hash tag, demanding the postponement of examinations, said a parent, on condition of anonymity.
Measnwhile, a senior Cusat official said the examinations were scheduled to be held as early as April 1. “Only 10 academic days were lost due to the lockdown which took effect in mid-March. Online examinations have been scheduled with an interval of one or two days in between each to lessen students’ strain. This is the only option, since any further postponement might throw the academic calendar into disarray, because one cannot be sure of the COVID situation a few months from now. Else, teachers and students will be under undue pressure in April, when the seventh semester exams are held,” he said. As for books left behind in hostels, students had around four months to retrieve them. Most of them have done so too.The grievance, if any, on incomplete portions can be taken up with the Controller of Examinations, Cusat sources said.