Students are testing positive for Covid and not being able to write the end semester examinations of various universities over digital platforms, said officials of the institutions.
Symptoms like high fever, headache and bodyache are coming in the way of sitting in front of the laptop or smartphone to write the papers.
The universities are taking steps so the affected students can write the tests at a later date.
At Presidency University, the students’ union recently wrote to the controller of examinations that a lot of students from each department have been suffering from fever and many have tested positive for Covid.
“Their mental and physical health is not in a state where they can sit for their end-term examination. We demand that there should be provision for examination on subsequent dates or other required provision, for students who themselves, and whose near family members are suffering from various diseases due to Covid-19 which is at its peak,” the letter says.
Deeprajit Debnath, assistant general secretary of the students’ union at Presidency, said 80-odd students had reported sick, following which they decided to approach the authorities.
Presidency registrar Debajyoti Konar said: “In order to deal with the real-time situation regarding any anxiety/ difficulty faced by any student related to examinations, the respective departmental examination committees are authorised to take appropriate steps.”
Examinations started last week and some of the departments are already in touch with the students concerned about fixing a revised schedule.
Suranjan Das, vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, said if students were unable to write the examinations because of Covid-19, they would take steps so the affected students could write the exams later, after the campus reopens.
“The students will be informed about the revised dates and what will be the mode of examination,” said Das.
UGC guidelines on examinations and academic calendar in view of the Covid-19 pandemic say: “Higher education institutions may plan for classes, breaks, conduct of examinations, semester break etc. during the period October 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022 following necessary protocols/ guidelines/directions/advisories issued by the central/ state governments and competent authorities from time to time, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
Samantak Das, a JU pro-vice-chancellor, said the semester examinations started earlier this month and they had received some appeals from students about holding a special examination as they could not write the papers after being infected by the coronavirus.
“Some of the students have tested positive and could not take the test. Family members are also suffering. We might have to hold a special examination for those students. But the respective faculty council will decide on this,” said pro-VC Das.
Teachers are also testing positive for Covid in large numbers.
Sabyasachi Basu Raychaudhuri, the VC of Rabindra Bharati University, said they, too, would hold examinations at a later date if students were unable to write the papers now because of Covid.
“Examinations started on Saturday. We will hold examinations at a suitable time for those who won’t be able to appear for the examinations,” said Basu Raychaudhuri, who has tested positive himself.
Semester examinations started at CU from Saturday.
Asish Chatterjee, pro-VC (academic), said they had not received any appeal from students citing difficulty in appearing for the test because of Covid-19. “If we get such an appeal, we will see what can be done,” said Chatterjee.
