DU online Exams: Sluggish Speed of 2G Raises Concern Among Kashmiri Students

Delhi University began its online open book reviews on Monday, in opposition to students and teachers who had been demanding that the exams be scrapped and that the evaluation be carried out in the past.

From going to friends' homes to keeping their fingers crossed that 2 G internet connectivity doesn't fool them, Delhi University's Kashmiri students have an additional set of concerns about their online open book exams.

Delhi University began its online open book reviews on Monday, in opposition to students and teachers who had been demanding that the exams be scrapped and that the evaluation be carried out in the past.

Abha Dev Habib, a Miranda House professor, said, "Kashmiri students from our college said they want education, not depression."

She said that even if students in Kashmir were able to connect to the 2 G network, it would have been difficult to download heavy applications and the internet connection would not always be stable.

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"Students also said they had to rely on other people's resources and miss out on one-on-one interaction, which is the crux of the teaching and learning process. They also argued that many teachers did not consider these situations before giving out links and readings in the classroom and during assignments," she added.

Bushra, a student of BA (English) Hons at Zakir Husain College, said her district in Jammu and Kashmir was in a state of lockdown.

"I'm from the Rajouri district. We've got a 2 G network here. I've been planning to go to a friend's house to take my exams, but it's almost four hours away and it's not feasible during the pandemic. Internet cafes are closed because of the lockdown in my area. I 'm praying that my 2 G network doesn't fool me and I can take my exams which will start tomorrow," she said.

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Samiya Aziz, another student at Zakir Husain College, said that her nearest Common Service Center (CSC) was 16 kilometres away and that it was not possible for her to travel for each exam during the pandemic. She said she's going to go to a friend's place where there's a wi-fi connection to take her exams.