Manipur University should stop spoiling career of students

Dr Th Ranjit *

Manipur University at Canchipur :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Knowingly or unknowingly for many years, Manipur University has been spoiling and affecting the academic careers and lives of hundreds of students of the Stat, simply on account of the declaration of 6th semester BA/ B Sc/ B Com examinations results late in the month of July every year.

Declaration of results of the above examinations by the Manipur University in the month of July every year renders graduate students of the university unable to take admission in universities outside the State or to discontinue their studies or to delay their studies one or more years. This is due to faulty and age-old examination practices prevailing in the university/examination branch.

The loses due to the late results of 6th semester courses are many and varied, and have far reaching consequences in the academic careers and lives of students. Therefore, university authorities should contemplate to plug this disastrous practice of the university in the forthcoming 6th semester examination, beginning May 2014 in the interest of the students aspiring for higher studies outside the State.

In the past, we had heard of many mind blogging acts of commissions and omissions in the examination branch of the university, which need not to rake up now as it was well-known to every educated people.

It may be said confidently that until and unless the present working style of the examination branch is efficient, transparent and reliable, and revamped fully, the desired goal of achieving standard or quality in higher education and the dream of realising a centre of academic excellence would be simply a pipe dream of the university authorities.

To achieve this goal, suggestions, feedbacks and supports from the general public, academics, students and all concerned are required, and implement of the same in letter and spirit are highly essential.

To make the things clear that how the academic careers and lives of many students under the Manipur University have been affected and spoiled in the last many years, the following few facts will be an eye opener to all.

The single most important factor in affecting the careers of students is the declaration of 6th semester BA/ B Sc/ B Com examination results late in the month of July, when most Indian universities and institutions have closed their admissions. The second important point is the availability of limited seats or shortage of seats in PG courses.

The third point is the non-opening or non-availability of subjects of choice in the university.

The fourth point is the lack of faculty members in many departments of the university, and lack of seats/subjects/guides for doing research by research scholars, taking of more time than normal time in the submission of theses in most cases, non-allocation of research scholars to recognised guides of the university, discrimination in recognising research guides and in the selection of research scholars, among others.

Since Manipur University cannot admit all its graduates to PG courses, for reasons mentioned above, a large number of students even larger then the number of seats available in the university go in universities and institutions outside the State every year.

How the examination results of 6th semester BA/ B Sc/ B Com could be declared reasonably within short tie i.e. within few weeks after the theory and practical examinations could be achieved will be understood from the following few simple suggestions, explanations or discussions. That, the last 5th semester B Sc theory examination (Geology Hons. papers) were held on last 4th and 7th Dec, 2013 and practical examination (Geology Hons. paper) on 6th and 7th Jan, 2014, i.e. one month after the completion of theory examinations.

My point is that the theory examinations that were held on 4th and 7th of Dec could be examined or evaluated within one or two weeks' time, if the Controller of Examination could arrange/keep ready few examiners before hand, and, if back papers are there their results could be kept withheld, and practical examinations results could be submitted in one to two days to the Controller of Examination.

Thus, the results of the forthcoming 6th semester BA/ B Sc/ B Com (Hons/General papers) can be declared within a short time, say within the month of June every year, if the Controller of Examination is serious and sincere enough to save the precious careers of students, who are aspiring for higher studies outside the State by adopting the mode of evaluation as suggested.

Furthermore, practical examinations could be held soon after the theory examinations are over without wasting much time, in view of the time constraint in taking admissions outside the State where admissions are generally done in the month of June every year.

Therefore, the Controller of Examinations of Manipur University should develop a mechanism of speedy delivery of answer script for early evaluation of answer scripts by examiners soon after the examination of particular theory paper(s) is/are over, so that the results of the honours papers could be declared within one or two weeks' time. In case of arts and commerce (Hons) subjects, which do not have practical papers may be followed the mechanism, as stated above, easily.

The Controller of Examination of Manipur University is earnestly requested to introduce the practice of early delivery of answer scripts to examiners for speedy examination/evaluation of scripts within short time by switching off the present practice of late delivery system of answer scripts to examiners, for declaring 6th semester examination results in the month of June positive from this year onwards.