The teachers of Jadavpur University have told the university authorities that BTech students have to write and submit their semester exams on digital platforms within four-and-a-half-hours and “not doing so may damage the academic excellence” of JU.

In a letter addressed to pro vice-chancellor Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya who chaired a meeting of the faculty council of engineering and technology on Saturday, the teachers have written: “We request the members of the council to give due importance and respect to the decisions taken by the faculty council regarding teaching-learning and the conducting of examinations. Not doing so may damage the academic excellence that has been built up over the years, through the hard work and effort of so many, in our university.”

The teachers of the faculty council in early July had resolved to fix the time limit for the first-year undergraduate and postgraduate semester (second semester) exams due to commence from August 11. They had alleged “students are sharing answers among themselves” during online exams in the absence of a time limit.

Recently, the students’ union staged a demonstration on the campus demanding that the time limit be dropped because connectivity woes faced by a section of students in flood-hit south Bengal was making it difficult for them to upload their answer scripts on time, a varsity official said.

In the engineering faculty, where students in the last semester exam, held in May, had taken as many as 12 hours to complete a paper — three hours for writing and nine hours for uploading the script — several instances of shared answers were reported, said a section of teachers.

Following the objection from the students in abiding by the time limit, the exams could not be held from August 11.

The teachers association wrote on Saturday: “It is absolutely vital to assert the sanctity of the faculty Council when it comes to taking decisions on such matters in order to maintain the tradition of excellence at Jadavpur University. The general body meeting of JUTA, held on 12 August 2021, also reiterated this position”.

A teacher in the engineering faculty said the students were taking extra time to submit papers citing poor connectivity.

According to him, bright students were forwarding answers to the others and if the specified duration was spent on solving questions, the additional time was being used to copy the answers and hold consultations.

“To justify connectivity woes, submission of papers is being delayed on purpose. Students might end up notching high marks but they are not being tested properly,” he said.

In Saturday’s faculty council meeting, it has been decided that this time, first-year undergraduate and postgraduate semester (second semester) exams won’t be conducted following UGC advisory applicable for the intermediate semester students.

“Students would be evaluated on the basis of equal weightage to internal assessment and previous semester results. But whenever exams are held, the time limit has to be adhered to. We don’t want to undermine the sanctity of the exam system,” said Partha Pratim Roy, the general secretary of the teachers’ association.

In the letter, the teachers association has also written: “On several occasions, the behaviour of a section of students who have placed their demands through deputations to the faculty council has been disrespectful and insulting towards teachers and other university office bearers. This is unacceptable.”

“The attitude and tendency displayed by some students as they repeatedly seek explanations from members of the faculty council, engage in argument and counter-argument, and criticize their teachers, is not desirable at all,” the letter said.