Visakhapatnam: The jumbling system introduced in Intermediate practical examinations from this academic year caught students from several private and corporate colleges off guard, since they had little or no knowledge of the practicals. According to sources, the students were at the mercy of the invigilators and their scores have been limited between 15 and 25 out of 30.
It was not the case earlier as they were awarded cent percent marks in their practicals when the exams were conducted in their own campuses. However, under the jumbling system, students of one college have been mandated to take the exams in another institution. Students from the corporate colleges felt cheated as their managements maintained that the system will be deferred to next academic year right till February 2 – a day before the start of the examinations – and lobbied for the same, but only in vain.
Students are now worried that this will affect their total scores and their ranks in Eamcet and other entrance exams as there was certain percent of weightage for Intermediate marks. It has been a longstanding allegation against the corporate colleges that they only concentrate on academics rather than providing knowledge to the students in practicals, which is crucial to excel in engineering and medicine streams.
L. Krishna Chaitanya (name changed), who took practical examinations at the BVK College of the city, said that he felt like an alien in the laboratory. “I was totally blank when I came to know through our management that I have to attend exams at this college. I had to request the invigilator to give me at least pass marks and allow me to write the only practical part I learned during my course duration in the exam,” he said.
K. Ramesh Patnayak, a lecturer with a private college, said that it’s time for private colleges to introspect and look into the laboratory facilities and the way they have been offering practical training at their colleges. “Otherwise, scores of the students will dip as the students cannot make excuses next year,” he said. Citing undue favouritism in awarding marks and erring institutions, Prof. Dayaratnam committee pitched for the jumbling system back in 2005 in the undivided AP.
But it was never implemented even after several feasibility studies, including in 2016. To avoid all these last-minute chaos, officials had initiated the infrastructure assessment process much before the commencement of this academic year itself and paved the way for the jumbling system.
