Mangalore University which had earlier planned for taking up digital evaluation of nearly 2.50 lakh answer scripts of its final semester examinations of 2019-20 has shelved the move. Now, it is going ahead with the process as per the conventional method, according to Registrar (Evaluation) of the university P.L. Dharma.
If the evaluation of the answer scripts of post-graduate examinations, which got over on October 6, has begun, the answer scripts of undergraduate examinations, completed on October 19, will be evaluated from October 27. More than 50,000 students had appeared for the examinations, he told The Hindu.
Mr. Dharma said that the digital evaluation plan has been shelved mainly due to two reasons. The teachers indicated that as all eligible evaluators are not familiar with the new move, there could be delay in completing evaluation thus, leading to delay in the announcement of results.
Secondly, last month’s floods in Udupi and heavy rain in Kodagu have created issues in uninterrupted internet connectivity and power supply to digital evaluation centres identified in Udupi and Kodagu districts.
In addition, the government’s approval for the new move was awaited. Hence, the plan was dropped.
He said that the evaluation of the papers of undergraduate examinations will go on briskly at three centres in Dakshina Kannada and one centre each in Udupi and Kodagu districts for five days from October 27 to October 31.
In the earlier years, the evaluation of undergraduate examination papers scheduled only at a centralised centre in Mangaluru took about 13 days to complete. As there will be five evaluation centres this year the evaluation will be completed early. About 48,000 students have appeared for the undergraduate examinations, he said.
The papers will be evaluated at the University College, Canara College, Government First Grade College in Mangaluru, MGM College in Udupi and at FMKM College in Madikeri, he said.
“We will ensure that the answer scripts reached all the three centres much in advance to enable teachers to begin the evaluation without any delay,” he said and added that the results will be announced at the earliest to enable students to join the post-graduate courses for 2020-21 by November 15.
He said that 50 % of the answer scripts of post-graduate examinations have been evaluated now.
Mr. Dharma said that the answer scripts of 60 students who wrote the undergraduate and post-graduate papers in the examination centres of the university in Bhutan, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep Islands and in Dharwad have reached the university.
The examinations had been conducted there as a one-time measure due to the COVID-19 situation.