Srinagar: The Covid-19 pandemic has come as a blessing in disguise for thousands of college and university students who had to clear exams of subjects in which they had previously failed.
In Kashmir region, colleges and universities have recently conducted exams of mid-semester and ‘backlog’ subjects online. In the online mode, students have been largely asked to submit assignments or undertake an MCQ test for each subject. The students who had previously failed in a subject have been allowed to appear in the re-exam along with the exams of current subjects.
Both the ‘backlog’ as well as regular students are quite happy with this new mode of examination.
“The stress of the backlog subjects was always weighing on my mind. I had no idea that they will be cleared this way,” said Imaad, a student in Srinagar.
Students say that the clearing of the backlog subjects would help them finish their degrees on time. Aaqib, a student of Kashmir University, had been extremely concerned about the timely completion of his degree this year. His main concern was the five backlog subjects that he had to still pass in.
“I’d never imagined that I’ll be appearing for my backlog exams in this way. I’ve found this online mode way easier than the routine one, and I’m confident that I’ll pass in all the papers,” Aaqib said.
Final semester exams of the current session are scheduled to be held offline but the University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed universities to conduct all end-semester exams by September end through any means. Students are hoping that these, too, will be held online.
An undergraduate student of Cluster University Srinagar, wishing anonymity, said he was lagging behind in four subjects taught in the previous semesters. He, too, has found the online mode much easier. Giving credit to the pandemic, which has forced institutions to conduct exams online, he said, “I’m pretty sure that I’ll pass in all my papers, and get rid of this burden of extra papers.”
“I had a backlog of three subjects taught during the previous two semesters. I had to appear for their exams alongside my regular semester examinations. This was too much of a burden. But now we have been asked to submit assignments in lieu of the regular exam, which is much easier to handle,” he said.
University officials say that by taking on-board the lagging-behind students in the online examinations, they’ve helped students complete their degrees on time.
Officials at Kashmir University, which manages exams of more than 50 colleges, confirmed to Kashmir Reader that a large number of backlog students have undertaken the online examinations along with other regular students.
Officials at Cluster University Srinagar, which oversees most prominent colleges in Srinagar, also said they had allowed all students to appear in online examinations together.

KALEEM GEELANI