ITI online exam fails to take off after protests

NAGPUR: The

online

examination of diesel mechanics trade of the

Industrial Training Institute

(

ITI

) had to be called off and postponed on Monday following

protests

by the students.

The students claimed that the state’s Directorate of Vocational Education Training (DVET) issued a notification on Saturday announcing to conduct the current year’s district-level All India Trade Test in online format on Monday and Tuesday. This sudden change in the

exam

pattern baffled the students as they did not get enough time to prepare for the online exam.

Moreover, the DVET notification dated February 3 also prescribed that examination of all 35 trades will only be conducted online, which the students were not prepared for. Part-I and II of the trade were supposed to be conducted on Monday and Tuesday while the second part is scheduled from February 17.

However, with the intervention of city’s Bajrang Dal’s student wing, the tests were halted. The students had gathered at DVET’s regional office in Civil Lines and met with regional assistant director. According to students, the official informed them that first part of the exam will be conducted on February 17.

One student Mohammad Salman, from Anjuman Polytechnic said, “We still have doubts about the postponement since there are rumours circulating on our WhatsApp groups that exams may have been postponed to February 20.”

Students’ wing head Vishal Punj said, “The way the DVET is functioning is unacceptable and it is meddling with the students’ careers. On Tuesday, the student’s wing will meet with chief minister’s secretary at Hyderabad House to take up the issue.”

Punj also highlighted that conducting online examinations is not fair to students hailing from rural areas because a majority of them cannot even operate a phone. He said, “The DVET should have at least waited till the next session to introduce online exams so that all ITI students become aware of it and get time to familiarize themselves with technology.”

Punj informed that the DVET official admitted to the issue and told him that orders regarding the schedule of exams are taken by the top brass of the directorate and they simply spread the info.