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The Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) Monday put forward major concerns about the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) and its adverse effects on the premier institute.
Among various complaints, the association in a press conference pointed to the massive delay in starting the new semester while alleging the NTA-led examination “replicates the pandemic”.
The semesters, which are usually 18 weeks long, had to be condensed to 10-12 weeks due to the delay caused by the pandemic.
The faculty said they had to reduce the syllabus in order to finish the course material by the end of the semester.
This would also mean fewer and considerably shorter mid-semester and end-semester breaks for the students, said a faculty member.
A similar trend would have to be followed when the classes begin for the upcoming semester due to the delay caused by the common examination.
CUET PG, the common exam for all postgraduate degrees, concluded on September 11 even later than the undergraduate exam, which was marred by technical glitches and last-minute postponements leading to a delay in the same.
The JNUTA said there is “no clarity on when the admission process to JNU will commence”.
The majority of students are enrolled in post graduate programmes, which accounts for 1,500 seats in the university.
The association expects a loss of about four to six months of teaching, given that the normal semester begins from July and ends in December.
Further, the JNUTA has criticised the “one size fits all” approach of the CUET which is solely based on Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for all subjects.
The faculty from various fields of study pointed out concerns with this mode of examination.
“It is not always the answer that matters, but how the student got to that answer,” said a physics professor.
For PhD programmes, the JNUTA said they are open to designing a system with up to 30 per cent MCQs if they are included with comprehension passages.
The union also flagged the adverse effects of the delay in admissions to vulnerable groups like the students from rural provinces who make up 50 per cent, the students coming from families with a monthly income of less that Rs 12,000 who make up 47 per cent and the female students who make up 45 per cent of the total student population at the JNU.
“For women who come to our institute, it is often difficult to even finish their bachelors’ degree,” said Ayesha Kidwai, a linguistics professor.
She added that this delay could mean these women don’t get to return to college.
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