Dr Asangba Tzudir
So much about the attitude and character of students of various colleges have transpired in their demand for the end-semester examinations to be held online instead of offline. The ‘rationale’ of the protesting students and which was also seen through some of the placards only shows a escape from reality, that those protesting students seems to be so fixated in the online exam that they still are not prepared to study. This comes at a time when the Corona pandemic continues to teach people the world over to struggle more than ever before. That there is no easy way out to make a life and living, and demanding online exam providing what seemed to them as ‘logical,’ that exams should be held online since classes were held online (though not the entire stretch of the semester).
While genuine protests need to be up-hold as a form of exercising one’s rights, the recent protest on the contrary clearly highlighted a baseless escape from reality. Further, it also leaves a serious food for thought on the future predicament that those leading and joining the protest are going to be the future leaders.
Now with the final decision taken collectively between Nagaland University, Department of Higher Education and the Principals of the Colleges under NU to go ahead with the already scheduled Under Graduate End Semester exams, the students have to prepare well and face the offline exams. The experiences of the online exam previously held during the peak of the pandemic have proven beyond doubt many things which at the end of the day is going to have a negative bearing on the career of the students.
Under the present circumstances, the decision from the Nagaland University to go ahead with the Offline exam comes in the larger interest of the students and for Nagaland University. Online exams are often referred to as ‘cheating’ exams and this will in no way cause motivation to study and learn. Further, any alternative other than the already scheduled exam is going the effect the next semester academic calendar to a great extent so also the semesters to follow. As such, going ahead with the offline exams is only a means of doing good to the students rather than causing harm. Having comfortably nestled in the ‘easy way out’ it is time to face come out and face the real test and those rallying to run away from the real test is nothing but a escape from reality which only sets a dangerous precedent on life.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes a weekly guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
