Students accuse CUK admin of violating UGC guidelines, scheduling offline exams
The students of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Sunday complained against the varsity administration for scheduling their annual examination in offline mode, which they said was in violation of the UGC guidelines.
Greater Kashmir received distress calls and emails from students who said the varsity’s administration was operating like a “dictator” instead of following the set rules for running the institution or for conducting the exams.
“The university doesn’t provide a student-friendly environment regarding academics as is endeavored by all professional universities of Kashmir and the country,” the Engineering department students said.
They alleged that the UGC guidelines were taken for granted by the university while the government orders were disobeyed by taking offline examinations without following proper SOPs.
“The varsity has disturbed our mental peace,” the students said.
In a complaint submitted to the varsity administration, the students said that the date-sheet for their first semester exams was deferred due to Covid-19 restrictions imposed in April and was pending till date.
“We were promoted to our 2nd semester without holding any examination of the first semester. We repeatedly requested the department to conduct the exams online as was done mostly by all the universities. But we were told that they need to follow the UGC guidelines and kept us waiting till the 50 percent syllabus for 2nd semester was completed,” the students said.
Recently, the varsity administration issued a notification and said that the exams of both the semesters would be conducted in offline mode.
The move has agitated the students who said that the UGC guidelines clearly state that for intermediate semester or year students, assessment should be based on internal evaluation and previous semester as suggested in 2020 guidelines.
“But the university officials claim that they are not bound to follow UGC and pressurise the students to appear in examinations of the two semesters without completion of syllabus,” the students said.
They said that the authorities had created an environment of dictatorship only to remain in the good books of the administration.
“They are doing it at the cost of the mental health and academic ability of the students,” the students said.
They threatened to boycott all the exams which would be held in violation of the UGC guidelines.
“We want the UGC guidelines to be followed,” the students said.
They said that they would not be able to write the examinations of the two semesters simultaneously.
Vice Chancellor (VC) CUK Prof Mehrajuddin Mir told Greater Kashmir that they were not in a position to hold the exams in the online mode.
“There are some students who want exams in the online mode but I will conduct a meeting with the students as well as other functionaries and resolve the issue,” he said.
The VC said that the grievances of the students were genuine as the varsity did not have a proper hostel facility for them.
“Earlier, we had hired a rented building for the students but now the district administration has accommodated some protected persons in the building due to which the students are left without a hostel facility,” he said.
Prof Mir said that they would try to set up exam centres in the nearest places for the students so that they do not face any inconvenience.
“I will convene a meeting in this regard and see how at many places we can set up the exam centres for the students,” he said.
Download our Android App from Google play store and get All updates on your phone 📱
Click here to Download App
