Coronavirus is no less than a calamity which has left the entire world physically and economically handicapped. Everyone is taking the required precautions for combating the virus.
While most of us are trying to reduce our exposure to the virus, various incidents are happening around India where distancing guidelines and sanitation requirements are getting ignored blatantly.
One such incident is regarding the conduct of physical exams by the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.
What’s The Matter?
In October, the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University of Delhi announced internal exams for the present semester and external examinations for the previous semester.
Though internal examinations were waved off according to the academic calendar issued for session 2020-21, the exams were held nonetheless. The saving grace was the autonomy given to colleges for selecting the mode of examination.
However, as per the guidelines issued by the Bar Council of India (BCI) (which are in contravention with the guidelines of the Union Grant Commission) physical examinations were announced for calculating the result of the previous semester.
While this notification was pending, the Bar Council released a clarification stating that the exams can be conducted by colleges within one month of the physical reopening of college and not before. This was done to ensure the safety of the students.
The clarification was given no regard and the date sheet was released, mentioning the commencement of examinations from 2nd November 2020.
Thereafter, the BCI issued a press release on 1st November allowing conduction of examinations. Students approached the court and the next hearing is to happen on the 12th of November.
Read Also: Allegedly IPU Schedules 5 Exams In 5 days, Gives 12 Days For Students To Prepare, No Relief For Existing COVID-19 Patients
What Are The Problems?
While it is already difficult for students to sit for exams for the previous semester because of the excessive burden of studies and assignments, another bigger issue is facing them. The students are finding it difficult to combat the virus due to various factors.
Lack Of Social Distancing
The students are required to sit in exams physically and they are witnessing a lack of distancing guidelines.
In the thin corridors of most colleges, a single notice board is reserved to mention the classrooms and roll numbers of students.
Without any alternative, students are forced to crowd around the notice board and find their classes as soon as possible and start with the formalities.
Additionally, in various classrooms across colleges, students are supposed to sit one after the other, without leaving any seat in between. The distancing norm of 6 feet is being ignored without giving any regard to the health hazards.
Lack Of Sanitation
Sanitation is an important element to be kept in mind in this war against COVID-19. However, various colleges have ignored this basic need, putting the responsibility on the shoulders of students to sanitize their seats and tables.
No cleaning is done before and after students leave their respective seats and this is evident by the thick layers of dirt on the seats and tables. Over and above this, no provision for hand sanitizers and alcohol-based hand rubs has been made for students within or outside the classes.
Extensive Contact
While the government and health agencies are pressing on no-contact interactions, various colleges are ignoring these regulations.
The invigilators and the students are required to come in contact regularly for signing the answer sheets and the attendance sheets. Question papers are mostly passed by one student to another which increases the contact between the students.
Lack Of Standard Operating Procedure
According to the Disaster Management Act, the institutions conducting gatherings of such kind, like physical examinations, are required to notify a standard operating procedure.
This is done to notify the students and the colleges about the procedure which they are required to follow during the examinations. No such guidelines have been issued by the university as of now.
All of the above factors are manifest incidents. Other unconscious exposures to the virus go largely unnoticed but have major effects. Colleges and universities must start taking the threat posed to students more seriously and make sure that all precautions are taken. If not, the increasing number of COVID cases in Delhi will only magnify.
Image Sources: Google Images
This post is tagged under: COVID, Covid, coronavirus, COVID-19. coronavirus threat, sanitization, social distancing, UGC, BCI, Law, examinations, law students, guru gobind singh indraprastha university, IPU, Delhi, Delhi covid cases, covid cases, physical exams, no-contact interactions, virus
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