Independent organisations and student unions, both political and apolitical, are protesting over the direction of the central government and University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines to conduct final-year examinations. Students are staging offline and online protests by posting messages, videos and pictures as well as holding placards, writing letters and conducting opinion polls to cancel final-year exams on account of the risks involved in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the announcement of the revised guidelines by the UGC on July 6 to conduct final year exams, students have been posting messages on Twitter and Facebook using hashtags #SayNoToUGCGuidelines, #CancelFinalYearExams and #StudentsLivesMatter. Anita Garge, a student, said, "I cannot risk my health and the safety of my family by appearing for exams when the COVID-19 cases are increasing, especially in Mumbai and Maharashtra. The government has no right to play with the lives of students."
In addition, online polls such as vote to boycott exams are being conducted with students posting videos demanding its cancellation. Kamalakar Shete, vice president of Yuvak Kranti Dal, Pune, said, "The central government is not bothered about the safety of students. We will fight legally and continue protesting till the government does not cancel exams."
While, Manoj Tekde, president of Prahar Students Organisation, Maharashtra, said, "It is not possible to conduct offline or online exams considering the high number of coronavirus cases and the lack of technical facilities. UGC has merely issued advisory guidelines, clearly indicating that the state government has the right to take the final decision whether to conduct exams after analysing the ground situation."
In addition, members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) staged an offline protest on Wednesday at Majiwada, Thane (west) holding placards stating We oppose UGC and No exams in COVID-19. Nikhil Kamble, student leader of NSUI, said, "The central government is playing dirty politics, overlooking the stress caused to students during a pandemic situation."
Students, alumni and members of the Maharashtra Students Union (MASU), Maharashtra Students Welfare Association (MSWA), Students' Federation of India (SFI), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) Students' Union, Yuvak Kranti Dal (Yukrand), Indian Youth Congress (IYC), NSUI, Prahar Students Organisation, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) student wing, Yuva Sena, All India Students Association (AISA) and many independent student bodies are staging protests over final-year exams.
