The High Court took into account the technical difficulties faced by DU’s final-year students and laid down fresh guidelines on Friday, to be followed by the varsity to conduct its online Open Book Exam (OBE). The examinations have been scheduled to begin on August 10.
Justice Prathiba M. Singh directed DU to make the question papers available to all students via the university portal and email. The court also ordered that students should be given three hours to complete the papers instead of the two hours that was decided by DU earlier. Additionally, students would be given one more hour to scan the answer sheets and upload them.
“The maximum marks for the papers and the time given will be the same as that of the physical exam...,” Justice Singh said. Students under Persons With Disabilities (PWD) category will be given one additional hour.
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The DUTA president, Rajib Ray, expressed disappointment over the High Court’s decision to allow the conduct of open book exams on Friday. “Any form of online or blended exam is discriminatory, unjust and lacks sanity,” Mr. Ray said.
The court said that students would also have the option of scanning the answer sheets page-by-page or question-wise before uploading them on the DU portal within the 7MB limit. Students can also convert their answer sheets into PDF files either question-wise or in entirety and e-mail the same to the central email address at obescript@exam.du.ac.in or to the respective college or department email. All students will receive an acknowledgement receipt once their answer sheets have been uploaded.