The imposition of section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code limiting public gatherings and use of colleges as first-line treatment centres (FLTC ) have hit the timely conduct of the BTech supplementary exams of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).
The supplementary exams for the 2012 scheme were actually scheduled in March-April. The aspirants were eagerly awaiting the publication of the notification for the exams after the varsity had initiated steps to hold it. But the declaration of section 144 up to October 31 restricting the ban on assembly of more than five persons at a time had affected the plans to declare the notification for the exams, said senior varsity officials.
The authorities had sought the cooperation of the principals of nearly 24 recognised colleges (now affiliated with Technical University) in setting up exam centres for the supplementary exams. Only five principals have responded as on Monday. The facilities in colleges are now being used for the first-line treatment centres for COVID-19 patients and cannot be designated as exam centres, they said.
The students need to submit their application forms at the college in which they had pursued the BTech programme.
“We can change the exam centres as per the convenience of the students, but they have to submit the applications at the college of study itself,” an official said.
The examination wing said that they are still hopeful of conducting the exams in November-December. The varsity would be able to hold both the even and odd semester supplementary exams in this period even though a confirmation cannot be given at this point owing to the COVID-19 situation, it said.
The aspirants had pointed out that they were not able to apply for the graduate level exams and other openings without clearing the arrears. Some of them had already taken up job offers and the company authorities were asking them to submit the provisional certificate. The candidates had suggested holding the exams online in view of the pandemic situation. But the authorities cited practical and logistical hurdles for conducting the exams online as the number of students was high.
