Protests get louder as GTU readies for July 2 exams

Protests get louder as GTU readies for July 2 exams

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Ahmedabad:30.06.2020

The Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has begun preparations for conducting theory exams from July 2 amid growing protests from students and political organizations demanding cancellation of the exams.

On Monday, protesters burnt an effigy of GTU vicechancellor Naveen Sheth. As many as fifteen members of National Students Union of India (NSUI) were detained for the protests held outside the VC’s residence, said sources.

In a separate incident, members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Monday threw bangles at the varsity’s registrar to protest the selection of members in the admission committee.

GTU officials clarified that they have allowed students to opt out of the exam. For such students, the university will hold exams after the Covid-19 crisis is over, they added.

GTU has received registration applications from 54,500 students who want to take the pen-and-paper exams from July 2.

The varsity has also given the option to students to opt for online descriptive type exams that are to be held from July 17.

While most of the universities in Gujarat have deferred the examinations after facing student protests, the GTU examination council recently reiterated its stance to hold the theory exams in July as announced earlier. Currently, exam hall tickets are being issued online to students.

The protests will continue in the coming days, said sources in NSUI. Although the exams are being conducted with the consent of students, many students are currently seen opposing it.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) panel had recently recommended to the Union HRD ministry to scrap the final-year examination for all colleges and universities. A final decision in this regard is expected this week, sources added.

Earlier, the UGC had recommended that the varsities cancel the intermediate exams, but the new proposal asks them to cancel the finalyear or terminal semester examinations as well. This decision was taken after many educational institutions expressed their inability to conduct final-year exams in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Protesters burnt an effigy of the GTU VC on Monday. In a separate incident, protesters also threw bangles at the varsity’s registrar office