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New Delhi: A Bihar university has said it will conduct the semester exams for BCom on WhatsApp as the institute is shut due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

The Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) in Motihari, affiliated to the University Grants Commission (UGC), will perhaps be the first institute to conduct exams via WhatsApp.

The UGC has not given any guidelines in this regard.

A seven-member committee has been constituted by the UGC to look into the possibility of conducting online exams, but it is yet to submit a report and there are no directions or guidelines from the commission on conducting online exams yet.

Also read: New academic calendar, vacations, how to conduct college exams — latest task for Modi govt

Question papers to be sent to students on WhatsApp

According to a notification issued by the university on 14 April, a copy of which was accessed by ThePrint, the mid-semester examination for BCom (VI semester) will be held on two dates — 17 April and 18 April, with 10 marks for written and 10 marks for the personal interview.

The notification said question papers will be sent to students on WhatsApp. They will have to answer the questions on an answersheet, sign on every sheet and then scan and upload them on WhatsApp in PDF format.

Once the written exams are over, a new schedule for personal interviews will be given to the students.

The students of the university have, however, denounced the move.

“The university is trying to hold exams through WhatsApp. Is the vice-chancellor trying to make MGCU India’s first WhatsApp university when the UGC has clearly said that online exams are not possible?” said Rohit Mishra, a student union representative at the university.

He also tweeted about the same.

Another student Nikhil Thakur said, “This is not the way to conduct exams. They can give us assignments instead. There are people who live in rural areas and do not have access to internet all the time.”

Not final exam, says university professor

The university authorities, however, said this is not the final exam and that there is “nothing to worry” about.

Professor Trilochan Sharma, head of the Commerce department at the university, said, “This is not the final exam, it is an internal test by the university. After the written exam, we are having a video interview as well, that should ensure transparency.”

“The MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development) has asked all education institutions to carry on with academic activities through online medium and we are just following their directions,” he added.

Also read: Online university exams a ‘remote possibility’ as UGC officials highlight host of concerns

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