University of Hyderabad students fume over promotion fiat

Hyderabad: Fifteen per cent of students in integrated Science and Social Sciences courses have not cleared their backlog, and their promotion to the third year and the final year is thus not possible. This has caused the Ambedkar Students Association to protest.

There are 800 students who are doing integrated courses in UoH. The first batch of 2017, has to move on to the third year. The results for this batch have not been declared yet but the students have started protesting in anticipation of being failed because they have not passed in all their subjects in the previous years.

The University of Hyderabad academic council added a clause two years ago that those students studying Science must clear their backlog in two years to be promoted to the third year. In the integrated course of Social Science, students must clear the backlog in undergraduate course to be promoted to postgraduate course.

These clauses which were introduced in 2017-2018 are not to the liking of the students who say the earlier rule of 50 per cent pass in all subjects was better.

A senior professor of UOH explained, “The rules have been changed as the Board of Integrated Studies has found that clearing backlog of subjects is important to go to the next level. The academic council took the decision after it was told that to maintain the quality and also the standard of the student it is important that all subjects are cleared before going to the next level. The passing mark is 40 and there are also 20 marks for practical exam and projects.”
But the students who have taken integrated science course state that mathematics was introduced in these courses when they had taken only biology, physics and chemistry.

ASA president G. Samson said, “In the integrated courses students who are trained in economics, business administration and commerce have to undergo training in mathematics which is a subject they had left after class 10. Same is the case with those who take biology, physics and chemistry. For the student to go back to the basics and cope with the subject takes time. At the same time, there is one faculty which is handling more than 50 to 60 students.”

Under-graduate student Shreya P. says that “those who come from marginalised sections of the society are already having a lot of language barriers. While they are coping with those challenges, the subject knowledge to be translated properly into the written language becomes an issue for them. Many of them seek help of senior post-graduate students to clear their backlog.”

UoH cites attendance as reason
But professors and the department of controller of examination in University of Hyderabad state that there is ample and enough time given to the student to clear their failed subjects.  

A senior professor said students can opt for summer classes and also write supplementary exams two or three times and clear the subjects.

“Instead, we find that they push it till the very end and when it comes to the final year, these issues are created. The students are counselled and clearly told about the rules. If they do not follow them, it is not the fault of the university.”

The university administration stated that shortage of attendance and practical exams are reasons for the students' inability to understand and cope with the subject. A five year course can be completed in seven years and during that time hostel accommodation will be provided.

The University of Hyderabad states that there are measures in place along with extra time being given to the students to complete the full course and these have been put in place specifically for the marginalised sections.