JNTUK to proceed with first semester engineering exams despite surge in COVID cases

Vijayawada: Despite the daily surge in Coronavirus infections, and several boards deferring the exams, JNTU-Kakinada is going ahead with its first semester engineering exams in the beginning of May.

Nearly 50,000 students from eight districts — Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam — are to attend the exams at 241 affiliated colleges. The exams are to be held from 10 am to 1 pm.

The students are also to attend first-semester mid-exams from April 26.
University officials said they would be complying with all standard operating procedures (SOPs) recommended by the Centre and the AP government against the Coronavirus. Only 12 students would be seated in a class room and six-feet distance would be maintained between them.

In addition, all students would have to wear face masks and would be allowed to carry a bottle of sanitiser and a water bottle into the exam centre. Students showing Covid-19 symptoms or those infected with the virus will be seated separately.

The authorities said that as per UGC norms a student has to appear for the final exam of every year to be permitted to go to the next. The Supreme Court has upheld the norms, they said.

Asked if the first semester exams could not be held with those for the second semster at a later date, the officials said that they were facing opposition from students to the plan. However, the university authorities made the students write exams for both the semesters.

The authorities say that as they had conducted all scheduled exams for engineering, business management, pharma and other courses for both UG and PG successfully during the first wave of Covid-19. Another round of exams was held recently with the exception of first year exams. There were no reports of any student getting infected with the virus.

JNTU-K controller of exams Dr K. Venkata Reddy said, “We are making all arrangements for conduct of mid-exams and the first semester exams for the first year engineering, pharma and architecture students to save the academic year. As it is mandatory to conduct the final exams before promoting the students to the next level, we have no option except to do so.”

A good number of students and their parents raised concern over the holding of exams, saying that they may fall victim to the Coronavirus.