Odisha: Students Raise Concern over Conducting of UG and PG Final Exams this Year

Graduate (UG) and Graduate (PG) final year/semester students are worried after hearing the order of the Supreme Court to hold this year's final year examinations. They were in a different mood after the state government cancelled the tests in June 2020.

 "We were not focusing on studies after the state government cancelled the final year of the UG and PG examinations on 11 June. The government announced that the universities would use alternative assessment methods to publish the results. After two and a half months, the apex court passed an order to hold our examinations. At a time when students are looking forward to their next class, the examination has again forced us to go back to the old classes.," said Srinibas Samal, a final year UG student of Utkal University.

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Gargi Vaishnavi Rout, UG final semester student at Rama Devi Women's University, said the offline examination during this situation was very risky. "Our final year subjects have yet to be fully taught in college. Conducting the exam after a few months adds concern for students. PG first year classes have been started online in private educational institutions. Is a student going to focus on PG class or review the UG final year course? We're facing problems now," she added.

Sonali Rana, a Balasore PG student, said the offline examination could not be held in the state due to the COVID situation. "The majority of students may not attend the online test due to lack of computers and Internet speed in rural areas. Let's see what happens," she added.

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Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) President Rana Pratap Patra said the students had left to prepare for the final year of the exams. But now they're going to have to revise their courses and get ready for the final year exams. "We hope that the state government will take all precautions while conducting the examinations," he added.

Niranjan Das, leader of the National Student Union of India, said that students are not in a position to take part in the final semester exams. They're preparing for the Common PG Entry Test, too. "We respect the verdict of the Supreme Court. The Government of the State should prepare a plan for a smooth and safe examination in the campuses. I also ask the Government to submit a petition for review to the Supreme Court on this matter," he added.

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Sashikant Mishra, Secretary of State of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, said that the state government should have carried out the final year/semester reviews by following the guidelines of the UGC.

"We welcome the order of the Supreme Court. We opposed the cancellation of the final examinations," he added.