All India Students Association (AISA) called for students to hold up placards and upload pictures online to protest against online exams.
As a continuation of the struggle against online Open Book Examination (OBE) for final year students, AISA conducted a ‘protest from home’ on 17 May 2020. The method of protest according to a press release by AISA was “students held placards at their homes, flats, hostels, PGs, etc and protested on social media using the hashtag #DURejectsOnlineExams and #DUAgainstOnlineExams.”
Students from 25 colleges across the University participated in the protest, which also included mass emailing to the Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Student’s Welfare, and Joint Controller of Examinations against online exams. The students took this protest to raise their grievances against online exams, calling it privileged and ableist. Some students pointed out that how out of place online exams are in a public university where students come from remote parts of India and all social backgrounds.
The Press Release also alludes to AISA’s 1500 student survey which found that more than 70% of these students will not be able to participate in online university practices. It ends with AISA’s resolve to continue the fight against online OBEs.
Damni Kain, one of the protestors and a member of AISA went to twitter to protest against online exams and also laying down several well thought points against online exams. She points out how results would “depend upon how lucky one is to have an internet connection working good enough at the point of exam.” She also points out that those who do not have good cameras will not be able to upload the answer script in a way that it is readable. She calls this move an “anti student move which snatches the opportunity to complete education for many.”
Feature Image Credits: AISA
Prabhanu Kumar Das
