Students, parents fume as Bengaluru`s Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology orders oral exams

Amid the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, a Bengaluru-based institute has ordered for oral exams and asked students to come to the city for the same, leaving students and parents angry. The institute, Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology, has issued this order by sending a mail to the students of the final semester in June. 

The examination is held between August 3-21 and oral examination takes about an hour. However, in the current situation, if students from different states of the country come to participate in this examination, then they will have to take a risk of at least 15 days. 

As per the information given to the students, the order also clarifies that the students should follow the 14-day quarantine rule laid down by the Karnataka government before they appear for the exam.

In addition to this, the students will have to make their own arrangements of lodging as the PGs and hostels for the students are closed. The rules of quarantine in Karnataka are also determined as per other states.

According to the new rules applicable from June 16, a person who enters Karnataka from Delhi or Tamil Nadu will have to stay in institutional quarantine for the first three days and for the remaining eleven days, home quarantine is mandatory. If a person is coming from Maharashtra, then it is mandatory for the first seven days to stay in institutional quarantine and the remaining seven days, in home quarantine. People from other states are required to stay in home quarantine for the entire 14 days.

When Zee News probed the matter, based on the information given by the students and parents, an institute official said that the decision to conduct the examination is in accordance with the UGC and government regulations. Although it is a big challenge to conduct examinations like this amid the growing cases of COVID-19, the UGC and the government have to decide whether to conduct the exam or start a new session, the institute only follows the instructions. It was also clarified by the institute that decisions can also be changed according to the situation.

What does the guideline say?

According to the guidelines of both the central and state government in this regard, the decision to open a school, college or any institution will be made in July. The state government will take this decision in consultation with the educational institute and parents.