RD Women’s Varsity Students Demand Exams To Be Cancelled, Lock Main Gate

Bhubaneswar: The students of Rama Devi Women’s University on Thursday locked the main gate of the university to press their demand to cancel the final semester examinations of Plus III and Post-Graduate streams on hold in view of the outbreak of the COVID-19.

The agitating students, who staged a road blockade, said that while the state government has strictly enforced the social distancing guidelines, the university has asked them to appear in the semester examinations on June 18.

Stating that some students are stranded in Mumbai, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, how they will appear in the examination. “As per COVID-19 regulations, people coming from the affected states have to remain in quarantine. If some of these students are afflicted with COVID-19, there is every possibility that they will infect the virus among the students here. In this case, who will be responsible for it,” they asked.

As the main gate was locked, vice-chancellor of the university Padmaja Mishra could not enter the premises.

Talking to mediapersons, she said that the demand of the students for the cancellation of the examinations is not justified. “Rather they should appear for the examinations and take admission in the Post-Graduate streams. This examination is very important for the students as far as their career is concerned,” she added.

She, however, said that the university will not force the students to appear in the examinations until the improvement in the situation in the state.