University of Delhi has begun the second phase of the Open Book Examinations (OBE) from September 14. 12,000 students have registered for the second phase of OBE. Out of that, only 3,000 students have chosen to take the exam physically, as said by officials. “Only around 3,000 of these students have opted for physical exams, the rest of them will write the exam online,” said D.S. Rawat, DU’s Officiating Examination Dean.
Despite widespread protest and anger, the varsity conducted OBE from August 10 to 31 for final year undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Internet connectivity, unavailability of study materials, and malfunctioning varsity portal were some of the reasons cited by students and teachers for the same. The second phase, thus, is for those students who could not give their exams in the first phase. This time, students have been given a choice. They can either choose to take online exams or write the exam at the university’s exam centres. According to the university’s records, 2,53,677 students were supposed to take the OBE this year. However, only 2,12,256 students took the exam, as per the data given to Delhi High Court on August 26.
While teachers and students think it is because of the pandemic that a quarter of students have chosen the physical mode, the university believes it is because of the success of the former online mode of exams. In a majority of colleges, only very few students have opted for the physical exams. In Ramjas College and Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, 34 and 8 students, respectively, will be giving the exam physically. While in Shri Ram College of Commerce and Aryabhatta College, no students have chosen the offline mode of examination.
