Delhi University postpones final year exams by two weeks due to rising COVID-19 cases

As the National Capital is struggling due to the surge of COVID-19 cases, the Delhi University (DU) has decided to postpone the final year examination. The final year and final semester exams, which were scheduled to commence from 15 May, will now begin from 1 June.

The exams will be organised online and held in an open-book format keeping in mind the current situation. "We held a meeting on Saturday with all the heads of departments and deans. The meeting was chaired by the vice-chancellor. It was decided that the exams will be postponed to June 1," DS Rawat, Dean of Examinations, DU, confirmed in a statement.

Further explaining, he asserted that the decision on exams for intermediate semesters will be taken later. He said that the examination branch officials have been battling coronavirus and two employees have succumbed to COVID-19 .

Talking about the possibility of exams getting postponed beyond 1 June, Rawat responded saying, "Many students have got job offers and in order to accept them, they need to have their final results”.

He added that students have also applied to foreign universities and require results within a time frame.

Teachers have been given time till 10 May for submission of question papers. However, teachers and students have been demanding the postponement of exams and even cancellation.

Earlier on 30 April, the Delhi University Teachers' Association had written a letter to the acting vice-chancellor Professor PC Joshi regarding the deadlines for submission of internal assessment.

The association, in the letter, mentioned that currently students and teachers find themselves in no position to write or conduct examinations. They further requested to cancel the exams for all students and come up with alternative means to evaluate students.