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We know everything is confusing, uncertain, and downright frustrating right now- and the university’s apathy towards the students giving examinations has further exacerbated the stress of the current times. But amidst this emotional rollercoaster, here’s an OBE rewind piece about some things you could do to ensure that the upcoming OBE exams are as stress-free as possible during these turbulent times. 

In the run-up to the examinations, make sure to take care of your mental health. Download your admit card and recheck all the details. Prepare only as much as you can, and as much as you need to. Take frequent breaks, stay hydrated and make sure to unwind after a long day of going through study material or preparing summaries. If there is anything that the previous OBEs have taught us, it is that they require a very specific kind of preparation, which does not always include memorizing the text or practicing writing answers, as we do in conventional examinations. Open book examinations lean more towards the technical knowledge and understanding of the text, including all the big ideas in the study material and going over past papers and guides to predict the patterns of question papers.

A student from Lady Shri Ram College for Women says, “We created small study groups and helped one another with summaries to understand and comprehend different parts of the course, and prepared these to easily refer during the exams. We worked together during these uncertain times and our trust and cooperation got us through our previous OBEs stress-free.”

Working together with friends or classmates is a good idea during these times, as OBEs do not require students to memorise the details, rather compile these together from different readings of a particular topic after internalising the basic concepts.

The night before the examinations, remember these examinations aren’t indicative of your academic prowess or merit and we are all going through difficult times. Prepare a top sheet with your name, roll number, college, paper code and course name to scan on top of the answer script and upload. This will prevent any added stress of having to write that on the day of the exam. Prepare either ruled or blank A4 sheets to write the examination  and try logging into the portal to ensure that the login details are all in place. Ensure that you have the contact details of the examination nodal officer for your college in case of any discrepancy.

During the examinations, it can get stressful. Paired with time management issues and the time-consuming process of scanning and uploading, many face extreme difficulties in uploading on time before the portal crashes, and sometimes even upload the wrong pdfs. An easy fix for this is to scan every answer after writing it, verify that all the pages are in order and label it according to the answer number so that it is easy to upload at the end, rather than leave all of them to be done in one go as it  adds to your stress and anxiety. The best app to scan answer scripts with is Adobe Scan, but other alternatives include Google Drive Scan and Office Lens, although they might be slower.

Another student from Hansraj College says, “I faced difficulties in compressing the files before time ran out and the portal crashed, after which I had to email my answers separately.” A good preemptive measure to make sure that compressing and uploading are easy during the examinations is to bookmark SmallPDF or PDFCompressor Applications to your laptop’s bookmarks bar for easy access to prevent confusion in the last few minutes of the OBE.

If the portal crashes, do not worry. A teacher from Daulat Ram College expresses, “I get panic-stricken messages when the portal crashes in the last hour of the OBE, with students asking for help and worrying that they will be given a zero because they were unable to upload. The portal gets overburdened by the sheer number of people trying to upload at the same time, but I tell them all not to worry, and that they must follow the required procedure for their answer scripts to be considered.” This procedure is twofold: continue uploading answers until the end of the 5th hour, which is the extra hour in case the portal crashes in the designated time, and if you are still unable to upload, take clear screenshots including the time stamp of the portal failure or network issues. As a last resort, email the examination officer of your college with all the answer pdfs attached, clearly mentioning name, roll number, paper code, the reason for not being able to upload and screenshot evidence for the technical failure. Your paper will be considered granted you have legitimate reasons for not being able to upload.

Finally, we are all in this together. These are unprecedented times and everyone is fighting their own battles. No one expects you to ace your Open book examinations or top the class during a global pandemic. Be kind to yourself. Good luck with your exams!

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Featured Image Credits: India TV

Riddhi Mukherjee

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With the extended classes coming to an end soon and doubts over what next with respect to academics, DU has formed a 15-member working group to “oversee all examination related matters.”

In a notification posted on the official website, dated 6thMay, DU has constituted a ‘working group’ to inspect and give suggestions on examination related matters. The working group has been put together to study the various examination related affairs, review the preparedness for conducting this session’s examinations and then take the appropriate measures.

The 15-member body is headed by Professor Vinay Gupta, Dean (Examinations), who is presiding over the committee as the Chairman, and comprises of members from different colleges and departments of DU. The notification also stated that “the working group may co-opt any expert, if required, with the prior approval of the competent authority.”

Dr. Uma Shankar Pandey, the Officer on Special Duty, School of Open Learning (SOL) and also a member of the committee, told Career 360,“There are chances of having both online and offline examination, but that would be too early to say anything as we are yet to have any meeting.”

He denied the question of the University not conducting the examination and stated that examinations will be held as per the schedule announced by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

He also said that any decision will be taken keeping the interests of students in mind. Although, concerns over conducting examination through online mode have been raised many times in the past few months, Dr. Pandey’s statement clearly indicates that the committee is considering all its options before coming to a conclusion. Today itself, the Working group posted an invitation for comments/suggestions from stakeholders on examinations. They have been asked to send them to the following email ID of the Working Group- [email protected].

However, questions have been raised on the committee’s composition. As reported by The Hindu, University executive council members, Rajesh Jha and JL Gupta, censured the committee, calling it “arbitrary and undemocratic”; and in a letter to the Vice Chancellor, they raised their concerns over the formation of the committee and inclusion of certain “nominated members” and some other aspects.

In parallel, Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), also wrote to the Vice Chancellor about the absence of the statutory bodies of the University –the Executive and Academic Council, from the Working Group. They also expanded their argument to highlight the inclusion of elected representatives of teachers in the committee and the students’ as well as DUTA’s opposition to the online mode of examinations.

It’s been more than 10 days since University Grants Commission (UGC) released the guidelines on Examinations and Academic Calendar for Universities. With various universities such as Mumbai University releasing their academic plans, DU students and teachers are eagerly waiting for the University’s course of action. The Working Group might speed things up and some official statement or notification can be expected in the coming days.

Feature Image Credits:DU Beat

Ipshika Ghosh

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Keeping in mind the present Coronavirus situation, the University Grants Commission has issued suggestions with respect to the functioning of universities post lockdown.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesdayreleased a fresh set of guidelines on how universities and colleges should function after the lockdown ends. The guidelines suggested a special emphasis on ensuring learning while ensuring social distancing. It was suggested that colleges open from August for enrolled students and for the new batch, admissions begin in August and classes by September.

The universities shall follow a six day week once they resume operations, as per the recommendations of the UGC panel. For laboratory or practical experiments, students will be allowed to work through virtual laboratories.

Here are some other suggestions by the UGC:

— The universities and colleges have been advised to hold their final year or terminal semester examination from 1st July to 15th July. They can declare their results at the end of the month.

— For first and second-year students, the varsity can conduct exams from July 16-30 and announce results by 14th August, if possible. If not, the students will be graded based on the internal assessments of the past two semesters.

— Universities have also been asked to use innovative modes of examinations and assessments. The duration of exams will be reduced from three hours to two hours. This might be a one-time move.

— The universities have been asked to develop virtual classroom and video conferencing facility and all teaching staff to be trained with the use of technology. Further, all the content of universities will be uploaded in digital form on its official website to be accessed anytime, as per the guidelines of the UGC panel.

— Faculty would be thoroughly trained in information communication technology (ICT) skills as well as online teaching tools. Teachers will be asked to publish 25 per cent of the syllabus through online teaching and the rest through face to face traditional classrooms.

— Every university will establish a COVID-19 cell for handling student grievances related to exams and academic activities during the coronavirus pandemic. The UGC has also announced to establish a helpline for monitoring student grievances in this regard. Among other immediate measures, attendance will be granted to all students for this period.

— The UGC also suggested universities to devise a proforma to record the travel/ stay history of the staff and students for the period when they were away from the university due to lockdown.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives 

Khush Vardhan Dembla

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As the war on the wretched virus wages on, every single person is also dealing with the consequences of the same. With their whole future in front of them, students are staring a mammoth obstacle in front of them.

The year 2020, as many says, has turned the world upside down. Numerous concerns surround the apprehensive students. The Economic pandemic that will follow this outbreak topping the list. With the markets crashing down, major industries will suffer a huge loss leading to unemployment and layoffs. Travel and Tourism industry which employs around 4 crore people expecting 12 lakh layoffs while the retail industry expects 1 crore layoffs. The stress of having unemployment is already circling every student’s head.

Getting a placement only seems like a handful of a challenge for them. And with DU signalling more delay in third-year examinations, the challenges only seem to increase. While DU authorities are confident that they can conduct the examinations online, many doubt their ambitious plans.

As many students aim for higher students in India as well as abroad, the sudden change in the schedule and work environment of the whole world has left students on pins and needles regarding the upcoming entrances and selections. As many universities from around the world start their entrance examinations and other formalities for admissions from April to June. Students who plan on studying abroad, are becoming sceptical of their future aspects leading them to rethink their priorities and choices.

This botch to the whole semester has left students perturbed. Manav Gupta, a third-year B.Com (Hons) student, said, “The uncertainty which is surrounding the virus as well as our examinations has left me confused and frustrated as to what I should study and what I shouldn’t. It is also truly disheartening that my batch will be missing our last days of college and might even our farewells”.

Not only is this wretched virus affecting the students with dreams of studying  abroad, but also the ones who have been preparing for various entrance examinations in the country. Be it NEET, JEE or SSB, all these exams have been postponed and uncertainty hangs over them.

Akshat Singh Rathore, an Army aspirant who was preparing for SSB this year, said, “Last year I took a drop to prepare for SSB examinations, but not only have the exams been postponed but also the stress over the preparations for the same is growing”.

Similarly, Mrinalika Chauhan, who had recently cleared her Tata Institute of Social Sciences entrance exam, said, “I just cleared my TISS entrance process which includes an exam and a series of interviews. But the result of the same is not being declared due to the coronavirus and this has put me in dilemma, should I wait for the result or should I apply elsewhere also”.

In addition to this, the first and second-year students are also suffering with many teachers facing difficulties in finishing the course in time. Even though many colleges were quick to take classes online but recent incidents have derailed this effort as well. Many teachers have reported incidents of harassment by students in online classes via obscene messages and language.

Speaking on the issue, Shitakshi Thakur, a student of Maharaja Agrasen College, said, “Just recently we had a class on Skype and it was an utter disaster as well as an embarrassing for us students. One of the students disrupted and disturbed the class again and again. It feels like we aren’t ‘educated’ enough to take online classes.”

The Coronavirus and Economic Pandemic along with the social distancing has taken a toll over the students’ mental and emotional health. However, the pandemic is also a stark reminder of how powerless humans are even though we tend to think otherwise.

 

Feature Image Credits: Paintvalley

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Adding to the current controversy over conducting of examinations online for students of Delhi University, a dean wrote to the Vice-Chancellor suggesting against it.

Sachin Maheshwari, the Dean of Faculty of Technology at Delhi University (DU) on Wednesday, 24th April wrote to the Vice Chancellor highlighting issues with online modes of education and recommended alternative routes. 

With reference to the efforts of faculty members to provide academic resources through digital means, Mr Maheshwari said that they could only supplement classroom teaching and had to be made available to all students. He said that many students will suffer due to a lack of access to computers, smartphones or high-speed internet. He also said that effective teaching and conducting of experiments could not take place through online modes.

Mr Maheshwari also raised concerns of a possible “rat race” wherein restoration of teaching-learning and online evaluation may be proclaimed for “nefarious reasons involving financial, political interests.” This could, thus, prove detrimental to academics, he argued.

He referred to the measures taken by other institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) which have advanced summer vacation, instead of going through online evaluations. He said that the need of the hour was to successfully weather the pandemic and make up for the lost time with “holistic team efforts” once the situation gets better.

The University Grants Commission (UGC)  had constituted a seven-member committee, headed by Haryana University vice-chancellor R.C. Kuhad, to look into higher education matters such as examinations and continuing the academic session. However, as reported by The Print, this committee also seems to be against the idea of conducting online exams, as it feels India does not have the required infrastructure for it.

The committee was supposed to submit a report to the government by 13th April but hasn’t done so. But sources aware of the developments said the committee is not in favour of online examinations, a thought echoed by officials in the UGC as well. Instead, discussions are on to postpone exams until whenever colleges and universities can re-open.

An important to note is that the evaluation for papers of the odd semester is yet to be completed for several papers. Several members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has actively spoken out against online examinations and said that it will not beIt is imperative that the University Administration take a decision soon, keeping in mind the interests of all students and faculty members.

Featured Image credits: DU Beat Archives

Khush Vardhan Dembla

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Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) introduced an online Google form soliciting opinions of students with regards to conduction of their postponed examinations, some of which shall later be added to a memorandum scheduled to be submitted to the authorities.

Amidst the shutdown of universities across the country and the indefinite postponement of semester examinations in lieu of the coronavirus-induced national lockdown, Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad Delhi came out with a press release on 16th April 2020 announcing the release of a “Student Opinion Form” for students of universities across Delhi including University Of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Ambedkar University with an aim to collect concrete suggestions and opinions regarding the evaluation of their internal assessments and conduction of semester examinations.

This new initiative has been termed as the “Padhega Bharat, Badhega Bharat aur Jeetega Bharat” (India studies, India grows, India wins) campaign. After compiling the opinions and selecting a few notable suggestions, ABVP intends to add them to a memorandum which is due to be presented to the University Grants Commission and the Ministry Of Human Resource Development shortly.

Stressing on the necessity of this initiative due to recent developments such as the possibility of examinations shifting online, Sidharth Yadav, State Secretary, ABVP Delhi came out with a statement, “The pandemic has adversely affected the student community. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the resumption of normal civic life, reopening of campuses, conduct of internal assessments and conduction of semester examinations. The semester examinations have also been kept in abeyance. Since students are the primary stakeholders, their suggestions concerning the issues that can influence their academic progress, especially the possibility of organizing web-based semester exams merit specific inclusion on our memoranda.”

The fifteen-point questionnaire includes simple close-ended questions like “Have you ever given any internal exam/project/assignment during the coronavirus pandemic or prior?”, “Are you comfortable giving online assignments/assessments?”, “What online platforms do you use?” and also opinion-based open-ended questions like “Suggest a method for internal assessment during lockdown” and “In your opinion how should the semester exams be conducted?”. Most of the questions seem to seek the students’ opinions on the possible shift of internal and external assessments to online platforms.

“This new initiative was needed as this is an unprecedented situation. The questions are thoughtful and will surely help in revealing the views prevailing among students”, opined a first-year student of the University Of Delhi, on the condition of anonymity.

The link to the “Student Opinion Form” can be accessed through ABVP Delhi’s social media accounts.

Feature Image Credits: Akhil Bharatiya Vidya Parishad via Twitter

Araba Kongbam

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Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) in recent administrative feedback has released a series of suggestive measures for the Delhi University (DU) administration to consider while tackling the academic hurdles brought on by the global pandemic.

On 14th April 2020, DUTA released an administrative feedback to DU regarding the handling of the global pandemic situation of COVID-19. In the released statement, DUTA points out the faults in the university’s semester and examination schedule, pointing out how neither was well-equipped to handle a crisis as such, leading to a collapse in the teaching semester. “The pandemic has also exposed the failure of the semester system with its tight teaching-learning and examination schedule to be able to weather any crisis such as the present.”

DUTA pointed out the problems with the online classes and e-resources provided by the university and how lacking the method is and definitely not at a capacity to replace or make up for in-class lectures any time soon. Given our student demography, it is important to recognize that a large section of students come from outside Delhi and that an equally significant number comes from underprivileged backgrounds, and the environment at their homes is unlikely to be conducive for learning. The University and colleges have so far not been able to collect data on how many students have accessibility to the e-resources and lectures shared by teachers. Given the diverse population of students to whom the University of Delhi caters to and the student strength, the means and modes of assessment and examination adopted in the context of the lockdown should ensure that the solutions offered do not further marginalize the already marginalized sections of students or create a situation where large sections of students lose out due to the circumstances they face,” the feedback statement read. They also pointed out the fact that most students who had gone back home during the mid-semester break (which had included Holi) had not carried their textbooks and reading materials with them.

DUTA, therefore, concluded that online examinations for the university would not be viable options, owing to the lack of resources and inaccessibility to many students of the university.

DUTA has offered the following suggestions to the administration:

  • Examinations to be held only after teaching days lost during quarantine period are recovered, with priority being given to final year students. DUTA suggested readjusting the holidays for summer accordingly.
  • Final year students should be provided with provisional certificates with details of their SGPA and CGPA.
  • If opened in a phased manner, colleges should give priority to final year students with exams being held 15 days after re-opening.
  • Schedule of the new academic year be adjusted according to the course requirements of current batches.
  • Considering shifting the examinations of UG level courses to an annual mode, in order to properly equip the administration for a similar crisis in the future.
  • Universities should hold meetings of all statutory bodies in order to prepare for dealing with the situation. Students should be kept informed of all measures being taken, even if they’re temporary.

“In the case of the University of Delhi, which caters to lakhs of students, we firmly believe that attempts must be made to ensure that (i) students enrolled in regular programmes be taught and evaluated as per the laid down framework (ii) essential classroom teaching to SOL and NCWEB be completed as per the requirements and commitment of these programmes and (iii) conduct of online centralized examinations be ruled out completely as the University neither has the infrastructure nor the capability of providing/ensuring level playing field in terms of accessibility and ease to the diverse student population it caters to,” the feedback read.

Feature Image Credits: Niharika Dabral for DU Beat

Shreya Juyal

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Delhi University authorities confirmed that there has been no discussion regarding the promotion of first- year and second-year students without conducting examinations. All news regarding this has been falsified.

With the University of Delhi (DU) being closed, University administration has postponed their semester-end examinations in lieu of the Coronavirus induced national lockdown.

Meanwhile numerous have reports surfaced among the media, and student circles that, in a meeting of University officials with Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi, proposals regarding promotion of first and  second year students without semester-end examinations had been discussed. But contradicting these claims, Professor Vinay Gupta, Dean Of Examinations, told The Quint, “No such proposal has been sent to the Vice Chancellor and these reports do not carry any substance.” He confirmed that the University definitely has plans to conduct examinations, though not in the immediate future.

He mulled that if needed, the University would consider shifting examinations online. “We see online examinations as the only way to conduct examinations, especially in times when students should not leave their houses. But the final decision can only be taken after committees report”, Professor Gupta said, referring to the committees formed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry Of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to analyse various possible scenarios.

Expressing disappointment at the University’s adamant stance on conduction of examinations, an undergraduate student, who did not wish to be named, said, “Many universities across the country have cancelled their semester examinations. Under such trying circumstances, it is best that we give foremost preference to our health and life before considering our educational conveniences. This is a once-in-a-lifetime situation.”

“As of now I have not been intimated by my superiors regarding the cancellation of examinations. Not holding examinations would mean giving the same Semester Cumulative Grade Point Average to each student, which is unfair in my opinion. Examinations should take place, whether after a month, or after a year”, said an Assistant Professor of Economics, on the conditions of anonymity.

Thus in the current situation, cancellation of examinations for any course or year is not in the picture. A definitive update shall only be announced after the committees give their recommendations.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Araba Kongbam

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In order to embrace the Kashmiri culture, University of Delhi (DU), announces award of 1 lakh to students writing papers on the said topic.

Yogesh Tyagi, The Vice Chancellor of University of Delhi, announced on Tuesday, 18th February,  an award of 1 lakh to any student who researches and publishes a paper on the Kashmiri culture. This followed, the first event organised by the Varsity showcasing Kashmiri folk-music namely “Meeras-e-Kashmir”, under the banner of “Cultural Flavours of India”. Karan Singh, Rajya Sabha Veteran, and Amitabh Mattoo, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Professor, were guests at this event.

The Congress veteran discussed the essence of Kashmiri culture, heritage and the rich pursuit of traditional knowledge by various prominent saints from the valley. “Never give up faith in your culture. We may be surrounded by corruption and violence everywhere, but we have to maintain ourselves. It is only then we will fulfil our potential,” the former MP said.

Singh shared several anecdotes from Kashmir, further adding “It is important for us to emphasise the diversity and inclusiveness of Indian culture and never get into exclusivism mode”. He also talked of the time when Sufis came to Kashmir. “There were places in Srinagar where people would pray namaz on the first floor and do aarti on the ground floor. That was the synoptic philosophy particular to Kashmir, which is now shattered,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of DU too talked about India being the hub of cultural diversity across the world. He suggested, “being the premier institution of India, the onus is on us in academia to appreciate the importance of geographical location, natural beauty, culture, cuisine, tradition, literature of Kashmir”.

Mattoo, JNU Professor,  talked of ways to strengthen our ideas of coexistence. “The first is the history and idea of Kashmiri Shaivism, the second Sufi tradition and finally Kashmiriyat. The recovery of the tradition of Meeras-e-Kashmir is the recovery of pluralism, co-existence and diversity, which will form the bedrock of the idea of India,” he further added.

Feature Image Credits: Easymetrip

Aditi Gutgutia

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The University of Delhi (DU) has decided to cancel all the first period classes of the colleges under the University, due to heavy fog and biting cold in the Capital.

On 4th January 2020, DU released a notice, stating its temporary policy to cancel all morning classes till 15th January. DU has adopted this policy due to the heavy presence of fog in the capital.

The notice reads, “This is to inform all the students of the University of Delhi (DU) that all classes taking place in the first period according to college timetable are to be cancelled till the 15th of January due to the presence of heavy fog in the city. The classes will continue as intended from the second period onwards.”

For some colleges like Hindu College, the first period starts at 8:50 a.m, for some like Mata Sundri College, it is 9 a.m, while for some colleges like Miranda House, it is at 8:30 a.m.

Jogesh K Tyagi, Vice Chancellor, DU, added that the University administration has taken this decision as a step towards its new policy of being more student-friendly. They plan on carrying out more policies like this in the future.

Rajesh R. Verma, a Professor of Hindi, said, “The students in the morning are drowsy during the first period and the fog will only heighten this. Moreover, students a lot of times tend to skip the first classes due to the fog. This might lead to them missing out on their course material. I think this is a move taken in favour of the students and I appreciate it. I hope the students won’t miss the other classes now.”

Sakshi Sharma, a student of Hansraj College, said, “I welcome this change made by DU. It takes me about two hours to come to college from home. In the fog, it’s especially difficult to travel. It’ll be a great relief for both students and teachers.”

However, Saumya Rao, a third-year student, disagreed with the move, saying, “I don’t think there’s any point in cancelling the classes. Bad weather days may come and go, but I don’t think our routine life should change because of that. This will only lead to us missing out on our syllabus and then cramming during the end. I wish the University focused more on important things like infrastructure.”

While this is going to be implemented only till 15th January, worsening of weather conditions may lead to further changes and cancellation of classes.

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted!

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Satviki Sanjay

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