DU Open Book Exams: Mock or mockery, students ask

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The open-book online examinations for Delhi University students kickstarted today, however, with a number of roadblocks. From technical failures to "incorrect" question papers, students reported umpteen issues. Many of them reached out using #DUAgainstOnlineExams on Twitter. The mock exams will go on till July 8 while the main exams are scheduled July 10 onward. And, all this even as the university has been facing a strong opposition from students against the open-book examinations.

"I don't know who is Delhi university trying to mock by it's mock exams? The site kept on crashing, the exam papers were not there & the questions were totally different from the syllabus that was taught to us 'online'. We couldn't download the question paper on time and what not but the dean examination Vinay Gupta says that everything went smoothly there were only two three cases which registered some glitch otherwise it was all perfect. This is not how it works," Saloni Gaur, a student pursuing B.A. programme from Janki Devi Memorial College, told India TV.

"The mock test was a disaster. The website crashed, details of students were missing, papers were incorrect. They didn't upload all subjects. Then they claimed that this is just for us to understand the procedure," another student said. 

"In the third slot of mock tests for the day, the website continues to crash, not all question papers have been uploaded. How will DU conduct OBE if mock tests have failed," the student asked. 

Another student said that the university gave the same mock test thrice today for the B.Com Hons students. "It has been 30 minutes since the mock test began and the site is not operating as it is crashed. If this is how DU expects to conduct its online exams, I think it will be a blunder and just increase the stress  of the students," he said.

Meanwhile, the academic and executive council members of the Delhi University also wrote to the vice-chancellor asking him to scrap the online open book examinations. Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had also asked the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) to revisit the guidelines issued earlier for intermediate and terminate semester examination, and the academic calendar. 

Earlier in June, the Delhi High Court had refused to interfere with DU's decision to hold open book exams for final year students. However, it asked the varsity, UGC and the Centre to work out a solution to enable disabled students to take the examinations.