The Parallel College Association has alleged that the University of Calicut has suspended first semester exams for the 2020 batch of private registration undergraduate students on flimsy grounds.
Jiji Varghese, president of the association, told the media on Wednesday that the university was all set to hold exams for regular students in aided, unaided and government colleges on December 14. Private registration students, however, had been told that the dates for their exams would be announced later because they were yet to be distributed study materials.
A.G. Rajeevan, secretary of the association, claimed that the notifications for declaring the exam dates and seeking remission of fees were similar in nature for regular and private registration students. Of the around 30,000 students under the private registration stream, 3,000 had remitted fees. But when it came to holding exams, private registration students were left in the lurch, Mr. Rajeevan said. He pointed out that there had been no practice of distribution of study materials for private registration students.
“The School of Distance Education [SDE] of the university had lost the University Grants Commission recognition in 2019. The State government’s plan to bring all distance education courses under the Sree Narayana Guru Open University too did not work out. That was why the students were asked to register privately with the university in 2020,” Mr. Rajeevan said. The Syndicate had then said that once the UGC restores its recognition, they would be migrated to the SDE. However, the migration was yet to be done, he added.
The association claimed that delaying exams would affect the academic prospects of students, most of whom are from weaker sections. The move will also create a division between students doing the same course in the university. The association has petitioned the university authorities to reconsider their decision in the interest of students.
