Shillong, June 05: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has written to Prof. S. K. Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong. The Central Executive Council through this letter express its concern in regards to the academic progress of the students studying in this prestigious University which more or less has come to a standstill due to the pandemic COVID – 19 where the students has suffered a major setback and loss of time.
Although the Union is fully mindful of the need to resurrect the academic careers of the students in the University which has been halted but appropriate steps and initiatives has to be taken as it would not put the health and wellbeing of the students and citizens of the State at risk and peril.
In this regard the Union is of the opinion that the University should be cautious and thoughtful when it comes to reopening of the University as the University caters not only the students of Meghalaya but also to the outstation students from all around the country and also foreign countries.
And reopening of the University at such a situation where COVID cases are rising day by day in spite of all the necessary measures and precautions taken by the Government may have drastic consequences to the safety and security of the State which is not at all advisable by the Union.
Nevertheless, the Union is also concern about the welfare of the students of the University who are in their final semesters and are to appear in their final examination, which are 787 students from various fields and departments out of which 200 students are from Meghalaya.
There are 300 students from Assam, 100 students from Nagaland, 60 students from Mizoram, 50 students from Manipur, 25 students from Arunachal Pradesh, 20 students from West Bengal, 10 students from Tripura and Bihar, 5 students from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, 1 student from Odisha and 1 student from Nepal.
The Union is of the strong impression that reopening of the University to allow all the outstation students into the State will possess an undeniable high threat and risk to the students and citizens of Meghalaya as it is evident from the fact and in this circumstances that all the active cases at present in the State of Meghalaya is from the returnees from different parts of India.
Moreover, the University will face tremendous challenge if it opts to bring the outstation students into the State as it has to look into the various matters in regard to their quarantine, health and security, logistic, etc. Thus, the Union vehemently opposed any such insensible decision if taken by the University which may cause a potential threat to the lives of the citizens of the State.
However, in matters concerning the examinations of the final year students, the Union would want to express the following notions and propositions, Collaboration with other Universities as Examination Centres.
The Union would like to convey that the University should make arrangements with other Universities for conducting the examination where the outstation students resides and in the date of such examinations, students of Meghalaya will appear in NEHU Campus Shillong itself and the other students in such other Universities in their own State arranged by NEHU and their examination papers to be parcel back to NEHU for scrutiny.
Evaluation through Internal Assessment, the University may also conduct the examination via assignments given to the students and evaluate and scrutinize based on the assignments submitted by the students.
Cancellation of Examinations – As done in the State of Maharashtra where the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray cancelled all the examination based on the rising COVID – 19 cases and students are provided aggregate marks based on their performance in the previous and past semesters.
With the welfare of the intermediate student’s lower semesters studying in the University, the Union would suggest that examinations may be delayed till suitable period of time or the above propositions which the Union has proposed for the final year students may be applied.
The Union humbly appeals to you to be mindful of the propositions that the Union has laid down taking the views of the stakeholders of the State into consideration before determining any decision said Raymon Kharjana Chairman Education Cell of the Union.
