No exam for lower sem engg students: KTU

No exam for lower sem engg students: KTU

BS.Anilkumar@timesgroup.com

Thiruvananthapuram:  12.07.2020

APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University has decided to do away with all junior semester examinations for engineering course for the time being as Kerala is facing a serious health emergency owing to the outbreak of Covid-19. The academic council of the varsity, which met virtually on Saturday, could not reach a consensus on whether KTU should show such leniency towards final semester students.

According to sources, the council has reached a consensus that the varsity may do away with lower semester examinations, considering the unprecedented health emergency in state. It was decided that the marks of the students in lower semesters be decided based on their semester point grade average (SPGA) in other semesters. Emulating the model adopted by CBSE, the council come to an agreement that in case students feel he/she was eligible for more marks, such candidates can take exams when the varsity starts functioning normally and conducts examinations as usual.

However, the major concern that of final semester students could not be effectively addressed by the council as its members were divided over the proposal of university offering a similar or institution-level online examination for outgoing students.

Though there were suggestions that the final semester students – considering the peculiar circumstances they are poised to face as job seekers during the pandemic – be also given the option to either attend college-level online exams or their scores be calculated as in the case of lower semester students, a section in the academic council opposed the same.

They said there could be no alternative to the conventional mode of exam for the final semester students, at least. Following the standstill, the matter was referred to the university syndicate for further perusal and final decision.

The academic council of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University could not reach a consensus on whether to show such leniency towards final semester students