Whether to hold examinations in universities or college campuses, or to evaluate students on the basis of grades in earlier semesters or years, has become the subject of debate. The central government issued a compulsory advisory stating that with adequate health safeguards, campus examinations could be conducted. Some states, including Maharashtra, however, felt that holding examinations on campus involves a high risk of spread of Covid-19 among the youth. They favoured the Kuhad Committee’s recommendation that the grade of the student for promotion to next year or semester and final years should be based on the average of previous year’s or semesters’ performance.
The students who are not satisfied with such marks should be given a choice to improve their exams through special exams conducted when the pandemic subsides and life becomes normal. This will free students for their future career planning. States argued that the online and on-campus examination proposed by the central government is both risky and may not result in true merit of the students. A section of students have also expressed their choice for the Kuhad committee’s suggestions. Let us look at the validity of these arguments.
It is argued by states and some students that universal “online examination” is difficult due to low coverage of internet connectivity. As per NSSO survey on Education 2018-19, a mere 15% of rural households have internet compared to 42% urban households. Alternatively, holding examinations on campus is also thought to be risky despite safeguard. One student expressed his view with great concern - “This decision would be a nightmare for students and parents and teachers. We are inviting millions of students to traverse the length and breadth of the country to set foot on the hotspots in the cities and metropolises where universities are located.”
Besides, students would travel across different states, and the travel by train does not guarantee that they will not be infected. Their stay at the institution and during the exam at campuses will be equally risky, including the risk in examination halls, despite the most impeccable precautions suggested by the central government. In this high risk situation, a student asks, “Why do we wish to impose such an audacious risk just for the sake of exams for one semester, while risking so many lives? Clearly the potential cost and risk will far exceed the claimed benefits in terms of improved grades.”
The unusual situation may also have a depressing impact on their examination performance. The results will not reflect true merit. Students argue that many students are now staying in their hometowns, without adequate books and reading resources There is obviously a lack of conducive environment at home. Some of the families are battling disease or financial emergency. The most badly affected are those who lost jobs, that includes casual wage labour, workers without contracts and small businesses.
In 2017-18, of the total graduate or post graduate students, approximately 39 percent were from these three groups. The percentage was high for ST and SC (53 percent), 41 for OBC and 27 percent for others. The students of these families are under massive stress to arrange for day-to-day survival. Worse is the situation of students who are migrants, who are completely displaced. Some of them may not turn up for examinations, and may drop out.
Therefore, holding examinations under such a situation will be highly unfair and discriminatory for some sections. The grades of these affected students who appear in such exams would not reflect their real performance. In fact, it may turn out to be lower than the earlier semester grades. The realistic alternative, as one student observes, is to “give the final year students such scores as the average of the past semesters’ performance.
This would be a realistic and better indicator of true merit, than the score they shall get if they are forced to write exams amidst a pandemic in such a threatening and intimidating environment.” In any case those who desire to enhance their grade would be provided a chance for special exams at the earliest, when the pandemic is controlled, as was suggested by the Kuhad Committee report.
This is a far better and definitely feasible solution, that shall do justice to students, while not undermining their merit or endangering the lives of both students and teachers and their families. For the Central government, the best way is to hold discussions with states and take a decision with common agreement.
This will enable the Central government to take a universal decision for all students in the country, without making any difference in the quality of degree between students, about which students are worried. After all, higher education is in the concurrent list with joint responsibility of the Centre and states.
The author is a former Chairman of the University Grants Commission. He is currently Professor Emeritus, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The views expressed are strictly the personal opinion of the author.
