College Students In Karnataka Are Boycotting Online Classes In Order To Protest For The Cancellation Of Exams

On Saturday, students in Karnataka boycotted their online classes, to raise their demand for exam cancellation.

The students from different degrees, post-graduation, engineering, diploma, and pharmacy participated in the initiative to boycott the exams. According to the All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), which is leading the movement, students from 42 renowned colleges boycotted classes. AIDSO further stated that, when smaller institutions are included, the total number of boycotted institutions exceeds 100.

These students are requesting that the government dismiss their previous or odd semester exams. They also want the government to deliver two free doses of the COVID-19 vaccination to students before performing offline classes or assessments.

When Karnataka went into lockdown on April 27, the odd semester exams of numerous universities were to be held, creating a problematic situation. Since every physical examination was deemed off due to the lockdown, classes for the subsequent or even semester began.

The agitation has been going on for ten days, and students have used a variety of tactics to demonstrate. They had first protested with the two requests on June 23. They sent memorandums to many parliamentarians, including Revenue Minister R Ashoka and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Suresh Kumar, after not receiving a response from the administration.

Furthermore, the students' struggle committee and AIDSO held a webinar in which a number of educational professionals and previous university vice-chancellors (VCs) spoke, including Dr. Prabhudev and Dr. Chidananda. Without performing any physical classes or assessments, all of the presenters emphasized the need of getting all of the students completely vaccinated. They also agreed that administering tests in the current situation is a bad idea.

Dr. Prabhudev stated that undertaking exams in the present situation is not only a hazard to students' lives, but is also the same as inviting the third wave.

Following the relaxation of limitations in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayana said that exams would be held for these students. Students in these courses were presented in a situation where they will be required to write exams for two semesters in a very short period of time. He also tweeted regarding the examination as it will be held soon.

Several students voiced concern about joining physical sessions without receiving both doses of the vaccine. According to a diploma student at Bengaluru's Dayananda Sagar Polytechnic College, many first-year diploma students are under the age of 18 and will be unable to receive the vaccine. He mentioned that the fatalities recorded in the second wave are horrifying and unforgettable. He also said that they will be fools if they expect they will vaccinate them within the timeframe they have promised.

As per AIDSO, the online class boycott received a strong reaction in other Karnataka districts. Colleges under Gulbarga University, Bellary Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Dharwad University, and Bijapur University have witnessed a complete boycott of online classes, they stated in a statement. They also added that if the government and institutions do not respond to their requests, they will be obliged to escalate their battle.