DU rolls back plans for online examination forms

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online filling of examination forms from this semester but there is some reluctance on part of colleges .So we have withdrawn the notification,and new notification to the effect has been sent,” said R. C Sharma,Dean of Examinations at the University.

“We 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,” he said.

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the log-in page for online form-filling and put up instructions to students on its home page before the move was withdrawn.

“In my college,nearly 30 percent of students do not have e-mail ids. We gave them introductory classes. The situation is worse in other colleges. I had raised the issue personally with the Vice Chancellor and it is good that the University has acknowledged ground realities,” Dr. M Aslam Pravaiz,Principal of Zakir Husain college said,adding that most of DU’s students are from government schools where they gain little exposure to technology.

Colleges lack the infrastructure to implement online forms,said Dr. B K Sharma,Principal of Motilal Nehru Evening College. “We 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,’ he said.

“We have to go online some time. My 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 I called up the University and requested that the switch be postponed to the next semester,” said Dr. Savitri Singh,Principal of Acharya Narendra Dev College.