Tamil Nadu’s Anna University has decided to conduct end-semester exams for final year students online amid the crisis due to COVID-19. Students without the facility to take exams online — lack of digital devices and infrastructure — will be given a choice to take exams offline later.
According to a report in Times of India, the tests will be for an hour for each subject and will have multiple-choice questions. The students will be monitored using an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool, which will record the movements of the students and other parameters like screen-time and audio usage to detect malpractices. The university has also floated a tender, inviting bids to facilitate the tool. As per MK Surappa, the Vice-Chancellor of Anna University, the decision to conduct final exams was taken keeping in mind the easy transition for the students into their employment and higher studies.
Since educational institutions were locked down from March due to COVID-19, the colleges were not able to finish the syllabus and hence the university has also decided to drop one of the five units in each paper for the final exams. Thus the grading would be done 30% based on the online test and 70% weightage would be given to the internal assessments and project work.
Recently, the government of Tamil Nadu scrapped semester exams for students studying in arts, science, polytechnic, MCA and engineering courses in the state, except for those pursuing their final year of study. The Chief Minister also informed the Ministry of Education that the state cannot conduct the final year exams by September 30, since many college and hostel buildings have been converted into Covid Care Centres and quarantine centres.
The Chief Minister’s letter came after the University Grants Commission (UGC) had ordered all the universities to complete their final year exams by September 30.