In response to the call for ‘All Karnataka Protest Day’ given by All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), students held an online protest from their respective areas in Hubballi and Dharwad and from various districts of North and Central Karnataka.
AIDSO had given the call for the State-wide agitation to protest against the decision of the State government and University Grants Commission to hold final year examinations for graduate and postgraduate courses and Common Entrance Test for II PU students amidst the pandemic. The students held placards condemning the decision to hold the examinations, calling it unilateral and a risk to their lives. They also opposed what they termed as ‘discriminatory online education and online examinations’. In addition to the students, several parents and activists supported the agitation. The students said that the lockdown had troubled the people of the country and amidst this, the UGC had decided to hold online and offline examination, in an undemocratic and anti-student move.
Office-bearers of AIDSO, through a release, have said that during the survey conducted on the issue in 30 districts of the State, over 90% students of graduate, postgraduate and engineering streams, and 97% of PU students had said they were not in a position to appear for the examination at this time. This decision to hold examinations at a time when the number of cases were increasing would do more damage, they said.
The protesting students and parents have urged the government to immediately revoke the decision to hold examinations and come out with a systematic and scientific evaluation mechanism, refund examination fees and postpone the KCET .
