K'taka HC refuses to tweak VTU's exam system, gives uni option to change

The Karnataka High Court has allowed Vishweshwara Technological University (VTU) the option to decide on the progression system of students following a petition demanding a relaxation in rules. The High Court further suggested VTU to come up with a scheme for the petitioning students to clear their subjects. 

In the petition filed in the High Court, 16 engineering institutions had been accused of not accepting examination and semester fees from 57 students. This after the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) scrapped the 'carry-over system' and brought in the 'vertical progression system' on September 7. 

The petition was filed in the High Court challenging the new system introduced. "We questioned the need for the restrictions placed on allowing students to write exams and clear their semester backlog," says petitioner Girish D, speaking to TNM.

On November 14, the High Court had issued an order in which it ordered the university to allow the petitioning students to pay their examination fees and undergo their internal assessment tests for the 5th and 6th semester.  The students are from various colleges including East West Institute of Technology, Don Bosco Institute of Technology and JSS Academy of Technical Education. 

The carry-over system had been in place since 1998 when the university was started. It states that students who enter the third year have to pass all the examinations of the first year while the students entering the fourth year have to pass all examinations of their second year. 

However, in September, VTU introduced a new system by which students should not have four fail grades or backlogs at any given point of time to get admitted to a higher odd semester. 

Earlier, those seeking progression to the fifth semester only needed to pass in all subjects of the first and second semester, and shouldn't have failed in more than four subjects in the third and fourth semesters. Most of the students who approached the High Court are students in the fifth semester.