Cotton University (CU) has successfully conducted the final year of the Open Book Examination in online mode, even as the campuses of educational institutions remain closed to students in Assam. The final year of the undergraduate exams began in CU on August 18, 2020 in online mode.
By doing so, the leading state university has become one of the very few institutions in the north-eastern region to conduct the sixth-semester undergraduate examinations as mandated by the University Grants Commission (UGC). In its Guideline of 6 July, the UGC mandated the conduct of the final year of the undergraduate and postgraduate examinations across universities prior to September 30, 2020.
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"The question papers were uploaded to the student portal of the university website at the scheduled start time of the examination. Students were required to log into their respective student portal accounts using their enrolment numbers and passwords to download the question papers," said CU spokesperson.
He said that a total of three hours-two hours for writing and one hour for IT-related work-were allocated to the submission of scanned copies of reply scripts in the link provided in the portal. Response scripts have also been accepted through official departmental email IDs to ensure flexibility of submission. "Students are required to keep the answer scripts together with the undertaking and the declaration in a sealed envelope to be submitted to the varsity once it is re-opened for students," the spokesperson added.
CU Controller of Examination I / c) Prof. Dipak Sarma and his team, together with technical support from the Computer Center of Varsity, have made it possible to conduct a successful online final year undergraduate examination despite all the adversities at the time of the pandemic.
"We have been successful in carrying out the final year undergraduate examination without any hiccups. The final year postgraduate examination will also be conducted in similar lines from mid-September onwards. It will be concluded by 30 September, as mandated by the UGC, "said Prof. Sarma.
States were divided over the guidelines of the UGC, mandating the conduct of the final year examination when the educational institutions remained closed across the country due to the persistent threat of Covid-19.
Student bodies and a number of states have also filed petitions for cancellation of the examinations in the light of the pandemic. Many of the stakeholders were involved in the award of degrees on the basis of the marks obtained by students in internal assessments.
On August 28, 2020, however, the Supreme Court upheld the UGC Directive issued to universities for final year undergraduate and postgraduate examinations by 30 September.
However, the apex court ruled that the States were empowered under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to seek a postponement of the examinations in consultation with the UGC in the light of the pandemic.
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