JNTU Students Won’t Have Minded Exams, But What If We Catch COVID?

During the coronavirus pandemic, it is not possible to travel without risking our lives.

Students say they won’t be able to appear for offline exams to be conducted by JNTU in June.

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editor: Rahul Sanpui

My name is Sha Faisal Rafiq Qazi and I am a final-year student of engineering at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, I have somehow managed to reach my home in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Now, JNTU has said that final-year exams would be conducted in an offline mode from from 20 June 2020.

But during this pandemic, it is not possible to travel without risking our lives. Even if I am able to travel from Mumbai to Hyderabad, what if I get infected by coronavirus and develop symptoms?

I will be quarantined, while being away from my family. I will not have any moral support there. And, as you may already know, in quarantine centres, everyone is, as PM Modi puts it, ‘atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant). Writing exams would be difficult not only for me, but for others as well. 

Many of my friends have travelled back home to the Northeast. Some of them face massive connectivity issues. My friend Anam was placed under institutional quarantine after she reached Arunachal on 20 May, where she spent 14 days. Now she’s been placed under home quarantine for 14 more days.

In order to travel back, she has to spend Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. This is not possible for her and many others who have travelled back to other states.

JNTU has said that final-year students who may not be able to appear for exams in June can appear for missed exams during the supplementary process, which is held within a period of 45 days after regular exams.

Now, a student who appears for regular exams in June can re-write papers within 45 days, if he or she fails to clear it. If I am not able to reach Hyderabad in June and write missed papers during the 45-day period, what will happen if I fail to clear any of the papers? When will I get a second chance?

Also, what is the guarantee that the situation will improve in July, around which time the supplementary exams will be conducted? If anything, reports say that cases could peak during that month.

Our final-year project has been completed. This is the most important bit in final year. Our backlogs and regular subjects can be evaluated on the basis of marks obtained in the mid-semester and a provisional degree can be  be awarded for the time being.  After the pandemic is over and life goes back to normal, they should come out  with a solution. After this, we won't have any problem taking exams.

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