A delay in conducting the May-June 2021 end-semester examination is a cause of worry for students of Anna University who have got admission to foreign universities.
A parent said his daughter had been accepted by four premier universities in the United States of America with a full scholarship. However, she has to provide a provisional certificate to be admitted. Universities in the U.S. start their academic session mid-August.
“Though the US embassy officials here have assured us that they do not need the final mark sheets or provisional certificate she cannot fly out without these documents,” he said. He pointed out that students in the National Institute of Technology Tiruchi and Indian Institute of Technology Madras were currently taking their final semester exams. “If she is unable to provide the provisional certificate she would have to forgo her admission this year,” he said.
In a series of tweets, Gopi Vedachalam has appealed to the CM, Higher Education Minister and Finance Minister to conduct the final year (8th semester) exams as soon as possible. He wrote: “Last year 2020 none of the students from CEG, AC Tech, MIT could join post grad courses in India or abroad. With no VC in office at Anna University, I request the new Governor to take charge and do the needful. NIT Trichy, IIT and other deemed-to-be universities are conducting the final semester exam this month. MS courses in US and European countries start in August 2021. Final year students may end up losing one year if Anna University does not conduct the final sem exams before end of May 2021 and declare the results by June 15.”
Meanwhile faculty in Anna University are working out the modalities of conducting the Nov/Dec 2020 exams. On Monday Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced that students will be given another chance to appear for the Nov-Dec 2020 end-semester exams. He said the decision was necessitated as students had complained of malpractices in the exams conducted earlier this year. The results were published in February.
College principals said nearly 65% of students had fared poorly. College faculty said students had failed as the proctored exams were rigid and even the slightest eye ball movement was considered cheating.
A faculty member aware of the examination process said those who want to improve their marks can take the exams. Instead of an hour-long multiple choice questions exam, it would be a three-hour descriptive exam. This would prevent mass copying and sharing of answers, the faculty member said.
Some paper-setters believe that MCQ cannot be compared with University exams. “A regular exam is conducted based on the syllabus and the students are expected to know the subjects thoroughly. Whereas an MCQ tests the candidate’s IQ and intelligence with the focus on recruitment,” he explained. The University had evolved a system such that a student’s best performance is considered for providing grades.
