Students of MBBS from universities across Jammu and Kashmir are demanding that the examination scheduled from 10 August be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The students have claimed that their preparation for the examination has been hindered because of the pandemic, reported IndiaTV.
Several students from across the two premier universities — the University of Jammu and the University of Kashmir — told indiatvnews.com that they don’t want to risk their lives and they are scared to come to colleges to give exams.
So far, at least 375 people have died due to COVID-19 in J-K while nearly 20,000 have tested positive for the virus.
The University of Kashmir has announced that the exams will be conducted from 10 August, while in Jammu, the examinations are scheduled from 1 September and internal exams from 10 August.
A student from the Jammu university said: “In the current situation, it is difficult for us to travel long distances to colleges. Our syllabus and practical work were not completed. We couldn’t complete online classes due to the 2G network service. Our books are in hostels for the past few months. We are requesting the authorities to postpone the exams to a suitable date.”
The student, who is in his first year of his course, further added that he had no time to prepare for the examinations. “Half of our class is out of the Jammu division and some out of the union territory. Many students belong to the red zone area also. This exam poses a threat to us,” he said. “Some of the students from our class are coronavirus positive and many of them are asymptomatic. Who will be responsible for our lives? We may not be important to the university but we are important to our parents.”
Another MBBS student, who studies in second year, claimed that he was tending to three symptomatic patients in my family and have started developing symptoms myself. “I know many batch mates who are going through the same. How are we supposed to study amidst all this?” he said. “Even if we managed to, how do we return from the COVID hotspot to our homes where have elders having co-morbidities? How can be put their lives at risk.”
In the report, the several students also told indiatvnews.com that the date-sheet of exams in case of Jammu University has been issued just 20 days before the exams and they don’t have much time to prepare.
“We talked to the principal about the situation and he said that it wasn’t up to him as it is the decision of the University and the university officials are saying that the principal proposed the date-sheet. No one is giving us any clear information. Also, we should have been informed about the exams at least 2 months before,” another student from GM College said.
