Delhi High Court will hear the pleas challenging the University of Delhi's decision to conduct online Open Book Examinations, next on August 4. This will essentially mean that the students will get to know the fate of exams only less than a week before when it is originally scheduled to begin. The exams are supposed to start on August 10. The court also noted that the decision to conduct online OBEs was not decided in consultation with the academic or executive council of the university.
Even though the university's decision was critcised by various student and teacher organisations, the university had gone ahead with its decision to conduct it in August. However, the examination dates were postponed twice.
Previously when the issue of digital divide was raised, the university said that students with no access to technology can appear for the examinations from CSC centres across the country. While the court asked the university's counsel if it had submitted a list of students to these centres, DUvs counsel responded that the students are to approach CSC centres themselves. The petitioner, on the other hand, said that 12,000 CSCs are not even operational.
The court then said, "DU should've asked the students at the stage of filling up of exam forms as to whether they'll be requiring services of CSC for taking the exams." It also asked the university, "How do you expect them to keep lakhs of centres open at 7.30 am ?" The petitioners also raised their concerns ov
