Almost a month into their protests against “mass failure” in the Mathematics department, about seven students from different departments from Delhi University have been issued a show-cause notice by the university administration, reported The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the statistics of failed students in the varsity’s physics department have sparked furore among students and professors.
Inferring from data on results provided by DU’s website, students say that in the first semester examinations 262 students out of 279 had failed either in Physics theory examination, internal test or both or in at least one subject, leaving only 17 qualified.
Moreover, professors have alleged that the rate of failure in MA and MSC is as high as 90 percent in some departments.
Sharpest Minds Who Make It to DU Are Now Failures
The figures of failure in physics department comes on the heels of mass failure in mathematics department where 35 out of 39 students, 150 out of 300 students stand failed in the first and third semesters respectively. Backing these students, professors have said that these students have secured a place in DU with extremely high marks in the qualifying examinations.
“The Vice Chancellor, PVC, Registrar, Deans and teachers of the department are all responsible for the crisis and will have to be held accountable for the lack of institutional mechanism that should have long addressed the mass failures,” Sachin Nirmala Narayan, member of Delhi University’s Academic Council and a professor at Dyal Singh College said.
He added that the students who get admission in DU have very high percentage in graduation or they meet the high cut-off in entrance examinations. “But within no time, in fact, in a matter of 3-4 months, they become failed students,” Narayan told The Quint.
Meanwhile, professors currently teaching at the Mathematics department say that the faculty in the department too could possibly be at fault, resorting to failing students when they misbehave or do not fall in line.
DU’s ‘Pressing Loot’ From These Students
Adding to the student’s plight is the re-evaluation charge of a single copy which requires a student to shell Rs 1,000 for a single copy and Rs 75 for rechecking the answer script.
This, professors and students, have alleged results in ‘pressing loot’.
“According to the information provided by the university, it earned Rs 2,89,12,310 for revaluation alone between 2015-16 and 2017-18. Also, the varsity earned Rs 23,29,500 for rechecking and Rs 6,49,500 for providing students copies of answer-scripts evaluated,” Narayan said.
“This amounts to Rs 3 crore 18 lakh 91 thousand 310 rupees over a period of 3 academic years,” he added.
“Re-evaluation and rechecking have become extremely costly, while re-examination or supplementary examinations are often denied with semesterisation of academic calendar in DU,” a student from physics department said, requesting anonymity.
“Going to court is not an option for most students due to prohibitive costs and also because of the possible victimisation by authorities,” the student added.
‘Semesterisation Has Added to Students’ Woes’
Meanwhile, speaking to The Quint, Prof Nandita Narain from the Maths department in St Stepehen’s College said that with the introduction of the semester system, there has been a lack of transparency in the grades. “If we cannot access all the students’ grades at a glance, then how are we do to understand where and what is going wrong?” she asked.
Echoing the students’ demand with regard to the revaluation costs, she said, “Revaluation costs cannot be kept so high, we are a public funded university.”
“There is a problem in the system and we need to involve external factors to look and review it. We cannot simply wash our hands off this and do our bare minimum,” she added.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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