Guidelines for DU Open Book Exam for final-year students starting from August 10

The Delhi High Court on Friday gave its nod to the Delhi University for conducting online Open Book Examination (OBE) for final year undergraduate courses from August 10 with a slew of directions.

The court passed the verdict on a plea challenging the varsity’s decision to hold online OBE, as per the UGC guidelines, for final year undergraduate courses which will be in long-form exams.

Justice Prathiba M Singh said the questions papers will be sent to the students’ email ID and be uploaded on the varsity’s portal and they will be given an extra hour to upload the answer sheets.

The varsity is directed to send an auto-generated email informing the students that their answer sheets have been received, the high court, which was pronouncing the judgement through video conferencing.

UGC and Delhi HC Guidelines for DU Open Book Exam 2020:

• Question papers to be uploaded both on the portal and email ID of the students
• Students to be given an extra hour for uploading the answer sheets.
• Auto-generated email to be sent confirming students that their answer sheets have been accepted
• DU has to ensure that details of Nodal officer, Central Email ID to be published. 
• Centralised Email ID has enough capacity to hold responses from all the students
• Common Service Centre to notify all its centres by the end of the day.
• There shall be grievance officer to address the issues raised by the students. In case of a non-redressal, complaint to be forwarded to the Grievance Committee.
• Grievance Committee reconstituted under the aegis of Justice (retd) Pratibha Rani.
• Grievance Committee to function till IBE continues, complaints to be addressed within 5 days.
• OBE results ought to be announced in a short period.

The bench also directed the CSC Academy -- whose Common Service Centres will be used by the students lacking in requisite infrastructure to sit in the exams -- to notify all its centres to be used for the conduct of OBE.

"DU Grievances Officer shall redress the emailed complaints of students regarding the process within 48 hours. If not, the matter shall automatically be referred to the Grievances Redressal Committee," the High Court added.

The court had on Wednesday reserved orders on a batch of pleas that challenged the university decision to conduct online Open Book Examinations for final-year students.

Initially, the varsity announced that the exams would commence from July 1, but later postponed the same to July 10 and again till August 15 without giving a specific date for examinations.