‘Rising COVID Cases in K’Taka, Yet RGUHS Conducting Offline Exams’

What about international students who would be forced to forego the exam?

Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka will begin its offline exams on 14 October.

(Illustration: Arnica Kala/Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

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Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka’s decision to start offline examinations from 14 October has worried us greatly. Students of medicine and dentistry have been called back to their respective hostels even after the state has been registering one of the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country.

With several students back at campus, the administration of a college under RGUHS is asking them to sign consent form that states the student himself is responsible if he/she gets infected during travel or when at campus, not the college itself! (The Quint has accessed the consent form.)

There are students who want exams to be conducted but in a safe environment, when everyone can attend and be given a full and fair chance.

Datesheet for MBBS examinations.

Datesheet for BDS examinations.

This, however, is not possible as there are students stuck in Malaysia, Iran, Qatar, Oman, and the US who will not able to fly back to India because of the nationwide international travel ban.

“It is the right of every student to attend the exams but because of this pandemic, I am not able to travel hundreds of kilometres back to my college and give my exam. And they should not put the life of students at risk.”

Final Year BDS Student, RGUHS

Not just international students, even those outside Karnataka will have the same problem as means of transportation are neither running at full capacity nor is it safe to travel through them. An online examination is the best option amid the pandemic.

Why shouldn’t everyone be able to appear for the exam? A new batch of doctors should come up and help in the battle against COVID, not worry about getting infected themselves.

In the event a student gets infected between theory and practical examinations, they will have to miss out on the practical exams, thereby not just losing more time but also having to reappear. Even if one student turns out to be positive, all students will have to be quarantined, thereby losing months in their academic career.

Moreover, with the state of hostels, staying with other students, sharing common rooms, mess, and washrooms, there is a high chance of infections is possible.

“There is so much of crowd and no social distancing is maintained. Mess workers wear their masks but it is usually below their nose. They serve (food) with their bare hands. It’s really hard to study in just 5-6 days. We are already risking our lives for 21 days just for this exam. Studying in such an environment puts so much of mental stress.”

Final Year BDS Student, RGUHS

Several of our emails to the university have been ignored. We are left with no option but to write the exams in fear.

(The Quint’s calls to the Registrar and Deputy Registrar of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health and Sciences have gone unanswered. The Quint has reached out via email. The story will be updated if there is a response.)

(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)