Jammu and Kashmir Students Association wrote to Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday urged him to scrap the offline mode of examination of IK Gujral Punjab Technical University (IKGPTU), citing concerns about the safety of students amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
In a Joint Statement by President of Association, Mushtaq Ahmad and Spokesperson Nasir Khuehami requested Punjab Chief Minister to consider online mode for examinations, stating that it would be the best way out for every student.
Mushtaq said that the students of the colleges affiliated to IKGPTU are in a "great dilemma" because of the "unfair decision" of the university to conduct offline examinations during the pandemic whereas every other university has given the choice of online mode.
He said that parents are afraid of allowing their wards to go out of their states due the worsening COVID situation.
Mushtaq said that the students have opposed the varsity decision to hold the exams in offline mode, saying it was "sheer violation of fundamental right of equality of those students, who are unable to appear in these examinations, due to COVID crisis".
"In other districts and States, either parents are not reluctant to send their wards to exam halls or students are quarantined", he further added.
Spokesperson of Association Nasir Khuehami said that students are in mental depression, anxiety stress, and their mental anguish is hard to explain. He said that the students will have to travel on crowded buses and trains to reach their respective centres.
"They will not able to give offline exam due to difficulty of traveling, reading, unavailability of hostel and residence facility", he said.
Stating that the student community has been most affected by the COVID-19, Khuehami said that all the students would not able to appear in the upcoming examinations as many of them would either not be in the Punjab state or will not be able to come due to ongoing farmer protest.
"Conducting offline examination will also mean transportation of thousands of students and therefore will put their lives at stake. Usually, the maximum number of students live either in hostels or on rental accommodation, but presently both options are now practically closed due to the pandemic," he said.
Punjab Coordinator of J-K Students Association Mehrajuddin Ahmad also requested the Chief Minister to conduct all the exams online.
"Students outside Punjab would not be able to come back also because the borders are sealed due to the ongoing protests and not everyone is capable of affording a flight ticket," he said
( With inputs from ANI )
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