JNU deliberating on mechanism to hold exams amid corona scare, nationwide lockdown

The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Tuesday said that while the varsity is in the midst of finalizing the process of conducting exams and that the Deans of Schools and Chairpersons of Special Centres will consult their respective faculties and prepare a set of recommendations on the mechanism that would be followed to complete the courses and hold examinations.

In a press note, JNU Registrar said that after the students were asked to leave the hostels on March 19 and the lockdown was announced from March 25, the university had to devise feasible methods to continue academic activities.

"In view of the diversity of courses taught in the university, different approaches to classroom teachings were adopted by the teachers using digital platforms. It was difficult to have a one-system-fits-all kind of mechanism to do the same," it said

"While the teaching-learning processes will continue using digital platforms, JNU is also in the process of finalizing the process of conducting examinations either through digital platforms or other means in view of the national lockdown imposed to deal with coronavirus pandemic," the press note read.

This, in a consultative meeting of the Vice Chancellor, Rectors, Registrar and several Deans of Schools and Chairpersons of Special Centres on April 12, a consensus emerged that Deans of schools and Chairpersons of Special Centres will consult their respective faculties and prepare a set of recommendations relevant to their respective schools/special centres on the comprehensive mechanism that would be followed to complete the courses, hold examinations, and facilitate dissertations/theses guidance and submissions.

The Deans and Chairpersons have been requested to submit their recommendations by April 16. The final decisions would be reported to the Academic Council.