HGCTA urges state government to form a committee to investigate the irregularities in the delay in examinations and other educational activities done by Sardar Patel University Mandi.

Dr. BK Saklani, president of HGCTA said that the functioning of Sardar Patel University is anti-student and anti-education.

Shimla:

Himachal Pradesh Government College Teachers Association (HGCTA) has been irked by the functioning of Sardar Patel University (SPU) Mandi, which failed to conduct annual examinations for the session 2023-24 in 46 colleges of the state. These colleges are under its jurisdiction, while remaining colleges are under the jurisdiction of Himachal Pradesh University Shimla.

Dr. BK Saklani said that the government needs to take strict cognizance of the functioning of the university. The university administration is deliberately delaying the examinations of the students to make political gains. The government should form a committee to investigate the irregularities in the delay in examinations and other educational activities done by SPU.

Dr. Saklani said that the functioning of SPU is anti-student and anti-education and the administration of the university is continuously involved in anti-government propaganda. The university has never been able to declare the results of the examinations on time nor has it been able to conduct the examinations on time.

“SPU is delaying the conduct of annual examinations for the session 2023-24 due to which the upcoming academic session will be completely disrupted. The Education Secretariat releases the academic calendar for colleges every year under which academic activities are organized in the colleges. According to the calendar, the annual examinations in the academic session of 2023-24 should have been conducted from 1 April 2024 to 23 May 2024, but SPU has failed to conduct these examinations on time” she remarked.

“Just two days ago, the examination schedule was released by the university, according to which the examinations will start from May 13, 2024. The released program also contains errors and some are missing from a table of contents. Also, the dates of examinations have been fixed for the months of May and June and during those days, college teachers will be deployed on election duty and there will also be counting centers in the colleges. At the time of counting of votes, only the employees engaged in counting will be allowed to enter the colleges. In such a situation, the conduct of examinations will be disrupted” she said.

“The ongoing examination program is proposed to be held from 14 May to 29 June 2024, due to which the examination evaluation will be done in the month of July-August and the new session is likely to start in September, which will result in extreme delay in starting the previously scheduled annual programs” said Dr. Saklani.

Targeting the SPU administration, Dr. Saklani said that “the approach and functioning of the university is completely anti-student. Students and their parents are very angry with the university for the delay in examinations and other activities without any reason. The results of the supplementary examinations were declared by SPU three days ago and the students who had been preparing for the second year throughout the year, will now sit for the first year examinations after failing in the results of the supplementary examinations.”

She said that “after the end of the entire academic session 2023-24, SPU started the curriculum development campaign on 27 March 2024, whereas the session had ended in the month of March. Finalizing the syllabus at the end of the session seems ridiculous and illogical in itself. Universities often prepare question papers for examinations six months in advance. But SPU has not completed this work till date and the examination will be held from 14 May.”

Dr. Saklani said that most of the staff will be on election duty in the month of May. Besides, professors will also have 25 days summer vacation in the month of June. So how will the exams be held in the month of June? she questioned.

She said that there is a feeling of doubt among the students about their future. MA semester examinations were to be held in December 2023, but they were conducted in February-March 2024. As a result, the semesters of MA and BEd started with a delay of two months in the month of April.

On the other hand, Vice Chancellor of Sardar Patel University Anupama Singh said that due to shortage of staff in the university, the examinations are delayed. She accused state government for this, which failed to fill up vacant posts in the university to ensure its smooth functioning.