Universities and colleges are not immediately going into recess because of the ongoing heat spell. They are instead making use of the other options provided by the state government. The Telegraph lists who is doing what.
Calcutta University
“Postgraduate classes will be held online from May 2. The decision has been taken because of the heat,” said the VC of Calcutta University, Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee.
The VC also said the university’s controller of examinations had sent a copy of the advisory sent by the education department to the principals of all affiliated colleges.
The colleges have to decide which of the three options mentioned in the advisory — bringing forward the summer vacation, going online and making suitable arrangements to protect students and others from the heat — they want to choose.
Parthiba Basu, a professor in the science faculty, said they were keen to know what would be the mode of the end-semester exams to be held in June.
A CU official said a decision on the exams would be announced at an appropriate time.
Sankhayon Chowdhury, general secretary of the Calcutta University Teachers’ Association and a professor in the computer science and engineering department, said: “The government order states the VCs may like to consider taking a suitable decision. Then why was the decision to hold classes online taken without consulting the teachers? Options like holding classes in the morning or evening could have been considered.”
He said switching back to online classes could prove detrimental to the students as they had just started getting used to the on-campus life after two years.
Jadavpur University
“End-semester exams, to be held offline, are scheduled throughout May. So it will be difficult to stop on-campus activities,” said a JU official.
The end-semester exams for the BTech fourth-year students started on April 27.
“A decision on the way forward would be taken in consultation with all,” said registrar Snehamanju Basu.
Presidency
In-person classes for the undergraduate fourth and sixth and postgraduate fourth semesters of Presidency University have resumed in phases since February.
Offline classes for the undergraduate second and postgraduate second semesters started on March 1.
VC Anuradha Lohia said in a text message: “The respective academic bodies of the university will hold discussions in this regard shortly.”
Rabindra Bharati
Rabindra Bharati University registrar Subir Maitra said they would take a decision in the next few days.
St Xavier’s College
Father Dominic Savio, principal of St Xavier’s College, said the theory classes of the undergraduate first-year, second-year and postgraduate first-year students will be held online for about a week from May 2 because of the heat.
“From May 15, students will write the end-semester exams in theory papers online. Since offline classes will be held till April 30, students have been asked to assemble on the ground for playing only after 5pm because of excessive heat,” the principal said.
The outgoing batches at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels are writing their end-semester exams online now.
RKM colleges
Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur, and Ramakrishna Mission Residential College, Narendrapur, the two autonomous colleges which are residential, will hold meetings soon to decide what to do, said officials of the colleges.
