Double Dilemma: Students sit for their examinations. Telegraph file picture

Jamshedpur, April 24: Barely a month or two left for their university examinations, junior students have been left in the lurch, as their professors are busy manning examination centres.

“First, the university gave us umpteenth number of holidays. Then, there was the trend of scheduling non-stop examinations from January to July. All teachers are now busy in invigilation duties for the seniors’ exams. Who has the time to take classes or finish the syllabus?” said a student of Jamshedpur Women’s College, Archana Singh.

According to Ranchi University (RU) schedule all degree graduate and postgraduate examinations are held between January and July. Part III examinations are held first, followed by the Part I and II. During this time, juniors suffer the most.

“The university presses for 75 per cent compulsory attendance. But are classes held at all between July and January at all? How are we to finish the syllabus” asked Mukund Kumar, from Jamshedpur Co-operative College. Mukund is a junior student.

What adds on to the problem is the inadequate number of teachers in some departments. Few university departments are run by single to two teachers — and when they go missing for invigilation duties, classes stop abruptly.

At Graduate School College for Women space is also a problem. To accommodate examinees classes are getting over by 12.30pm, instead of 4.30pm — as is the schedule.

“Since rooms have to be allotted to those appearing for examinations, our classes have been shortened,” rued Kritika Baheti from Jamshedpur School College for Women.

Though most colleges try to compensate for the time lost through extra classes, students are not convinced that it helps. “The RU revised syllabus is vast. Unless we have classes on schedule it is difficult to cope,” conceded Archana Kumari, a student of the same college.

When contacted, S.S. Razi, the co-ordinator of Ranchi University’s branch office and principal of Jamshedpur Workers’ College agreed. “It’s an issue and to change the scenario long-term planning is needed,” he signed off.