Conducting online exams not possible: Karnataka Deputy CM says amid Covid-19 second wave

With the demand to conduct online exams rising from various stakeholders including students of different universities amid an ongoing second wave, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwathnarayan has confirmed that holding online exams is not a viable option in the state.

“It would not be possible to conduct online exams in the present system. Examinations will be conducted in offline mode as conducting them online is not possible in the government setup. Only a few deemed universities may be able to conduct exams online,” he said in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Ashwathnarayan — also in charge of the Higher Education portfolio — said that the timetable for degree, post-graduation, diploma, and engineering examinations had been slightly affected due to the ongoing bus strike. “Exams will resume immediately after the bus strike ends,” he said.

Ashwathnarayan had announced earlier last week that no examination and academic activities will be stopped on account of COVID-19 and that they will be held as per the scheduled time table.

Further, the Higher Education Minister added, “Physical (offline) classes will be started in all colleges and universities again once the pandemic is brought under control. Students can either attend physical or online classes. However, attending either of the two options will be a must.”

Ashwathnarayan also hinted that academic activities for the years 2021-22 will begin with the functioning of online classes in the initial stages.

Karnataka has reported 1,23,618 new cases and 610 deaths since March 1, 2021. The south Indian state is also fourth among all states and union territories in India with the highest active caseload (75,985) as on Monday, behind Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Uttar Pradesh.