Thursday, September 15, 2011

DU backtracked on its plans for online examination form

New Delhi: Delhi University has taken back its plan for students to fill their examination forms online from this semester after the opposition they received from college administrations. The colleges have raised an objection saying that a large number of DU students still do not possess an e-mail ID and lack familiarity with the internet. The University on Friday withdrew a notification it issued on September 6.

R. C Sharma, Dean of Examinations at the University, said that they wanted to implement online filling of examination forms from this semester but there is some reluctance on part of colleges .So we have withdrawn the notification, and new notification to the effect has been sent.

He further added that they hope to implement the system in the coming semesters. The technology is ready and switching to online system would have made it possible to build a database of students and link their marks to this database.

The University had already prepared the log-in page for online form-filling and put up instructions to students on its home page before the move was withdrawn.

Dr. M Aslam Pravaiz, Principal of Zakir Husain college said, nearly 30 percent of students do not have e-mail ids. They have also given them introductory classes. The situation is worse in other colleges. He further said that he has raised the issue personally with the Vice Chancellor and it is good that the University has acknowledged ground realities. The most of DU's students are from government schools where they gain little exposure to technology, he said.

Dr. B K Sharma, Principal of Motilal Nehru Evening College said that the colleges lack the infrastructure to implement
online forms. They need some more time to set up the infrastructure. The computer lab in the college is yet to be set up. Only 34 out of nearly 80 colleges in DU have their labs fully set up. The University network has to be hooked up also. It will take some time.

Dr. Savitri Singh, Principal of Acharya Narendra Dev College said that they have to go online some time. Their college has no difficulties but 80 percent of the students studying in semester system in the college had already filled up the old OMR forms when the decision was taken. So she called up the University and requested that the switch be postponed to the next semester.

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