During the first-year BA and BCom programme exams, the Delhi University School of Open Learning (SOL) abruptly announced the cancellation of the exam on March 4th and directed students to submit their answer sheets. University officials indicated that the SOL exam slated for the next day was also cancelled, while the remaining schedule remains unchanged. The officials further advised that the dates for the two affected subjects would be communicated to students shortly.
The exam for the two programmes' students was scheduled on Saturday, with two shifts in the morning and evening. However, an error resulted in all students being assigned to the morning shift, leading to the cancellation of the exam, as confirmed by a senior university official. A cancellation notice was promptly displayed outside the centre entrances following the postponement of the exam. Sangeeta, a first-year BA student, reported arriving on time for her designated testing location, with the exam commencing as planned before students were notified of the cancellation a short while later.
"My examination centre was Miranda House. I reached on time, checked my seat and sat down. We filled up our details and question papers were distributed. We were given the allotted time to read the question paper," she said. "The answer sheets were distributed and as I picked up my pen, the invigilator told us that the exam has been cancelled. We were not given any reason," she claimed. She then added that hundreds of students had gathered outside the centre, demanding answers.
They found a notice pasted on the main gate of the college which read, "As per information received from the Examination Branch today SOL papers for morning and evening sessions have been cancelled. Next date of examination will be informed later on." The university official said the examination for both Saturday and Sunday have been cancelled. "The students will be issued new roll numbers. It was a goof-up by SOL. We are looking into it. We are determining whether it was a human error or that of a computer," Registrar Vikas Gupta told PTI. "We will notify the next date for the examination of these two subjects. The rest of the date-sheet is the same," he added.
In a message issued by Delhi University, its assistant registrar said the exam was cancelled "due to unavoidable circumstances". "The next date of these examinations will be announced later," it read.
Shivani, whose examination centre was DU's Atma Ram Sanatan College, accused the administration of negligence. "They should have told us at least a day earlier. So many students have come here from faraway places. They were told at the last minute," she said.
Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), a student organization, condemned the mismanagement and incompetence that resulted in the cancellation of the exams. Activists from KYS and SOL students held a protest at the SOL building. Subsequently, the students staged a demonstration outside Gate 4 of the Arts Faculty, where they submitted a letter to the Vice-Chancellor of the DU. "This exposes the sheer mismanagement and chaos which has become the hallmark of SOL and DU administrations that are least concerned about the future of lakhs of students who study in SOL," the KYS said in a statement.
