Odisha: Diploma students seek online semester exams

BHUBANESWAR: The second and third-year diploma students of Odisha on Thursday staged a demonstration outside the residence of skill development and technical education minister, Premananda Nayak, here, demanding semester examinations to be held online.
The students had a face-off with police while staging the dharna near the minister's residence. The third-year diploma students said they want to take admission in BTech through OJEE lateral entry (diploma), but their fifth semester examination is yet to start.
"I have received a good rank in the OJEE, but I am unable to join the BTech course because of delay in the examination. October 19 is the deadline for choice locking (selection of course and institution) to take admission in an engineering college. At least, the skill development and technical education department could have conducted the fifth semester examinations on time before the OJEE counselling begins," said Debamalya Dhar, a student from Talcher.
The second-year students said the department wants them to appear in the first semester examination now. "Why is the department worried for the first semester examination now? We request the government not to hold that now," said another student from Dhenkanal.
No decision has been taken regarding the students' demand yet.