The decision of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) to conduct final-semester B.Tech exams offline has not gone down well with some students.

The students have demanded that their examinations be conducted online, the way they were taught online. Many students have alleged that the university has woken up to rush through the exams after the students wrote to lieutenant governor about delay in finishing their B.Tech degrees.

“Our degrees are already late as we have been insisting on our exams for the past more than a month. There are placement drives already going on. Now they have come up with a decision to conduct an offline exam within a couple of weeks. We wanted an online exam but they are pressuring us for offline exams. We have studied keeping in mind online exams,” said a student of B.Tech Computer Science.

“Let them take our exams keeping in mind what the teachers have taught us online,” she said.

Another student said the university has informed them that their ‘minors’ will be from Wednesday to Friday online and then after two days they will conduct ‘majors’ offline without any gap.

“For four days our four papers will be examined. They are giving us four days’ time. How can we get ready? Four subjects with 20 units and then project presentation and project report. How come it is possible that we will be able to do justice and our final year is totally dependent on project work? ,” he said.

“We want that either the exams should be conducted online or if they want offline exams then we should be given enough time for the preparations,” he said.

Another student said, “Our majors should also be online as marking papers offline takes time. There should be some relaxation at least.” The university’s vice-chancellor Prof Shakil Ahmad Romshoo said they have decided to conduct all exams offline to maintain the sanctity of the exams.

“This is unfortunate that some students try to make a mockery of this system. Most of the students are ready for the exams. If people have studied online, their exams will be taken keeping that in mind and it is not necessary that it has to be online. They will be examined on the topics they have been taught,” he said.

He said the university is attempting to declare the results before October 30 to allow students to complete their masters admissions in NIT.

“There are students who want to go for masters and have also qualified GATE; they want to apply for admissions at NIT whose last date is October 30. That is why we decided to declare the result a few days before the date,” he said.

“Still if some students have some issues they can talk to dean and we can see how much concession we can give to students,” he said.