Over 1000 VTU students write to VC, ask varsity to conduct exams online

Over a thousand students, studying in various colleges affiliated with the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) have written to the university Vice-Chancellor, asking him to not conduct their end semester examinations offline. The representation was moved by Advocate Tanvi Dubey. The students also say that they will move the Karnataka HC in case a favourable decision is not taken by the varsity.

A circular by the university sent on December 8 had asked all the colleges to conduct their current semester examinations offline, much to students' disagreement.  While more than 200 engineering colleges are affiliated with the university, 1373 students have signed the letter. There has been widespread criticism against the university's stand on social media. Hashtags #VTUStudentsWantJustice has been trending on Twitter for while now. While the students want the circular to be kept in abeyance until the pandemic is contained, they also want the university to issue "appropriate guidelines for the conduct of examination in the online model, so as to do complete, equal and fair justice to the students and to exclude the possibility of discrimination, disadvantage and risk of life."

Through a tweet, Dubey claimed that most of the students want their exams to be held online, according to a survey. In the representation, the students also say that the university hasn't responded to them, despite them making calls and writing letters. "The conduct of offline exam will entail students (who have already travelled across borders) to migrate to Bengaluru, in order to appear in the examination. This will also involve the risk of staying in shared accommodation as various colleges and hostels have been converted into quarantine centers," reads the representation.