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For ages, University of Calcutta has made us feel like worthless pieces of vermin on the face of earth. From the merciless marking scheme to teachers holding prejudices, we didn't say a word. But now they want to throw us on the streets, jeopardising our safety and our health. 

For those of you who don't know, on 9th May 2020, the Government of West Bengal's Education Ministry decided to conduct physical exams one month after the nationwide lockdown ends. This decision was not just reckless but also very juvenile. 

India, at the time of writing this, stand at 85,940 confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection. West Bengal stands at 2,461.

And remember this happened in the middle of the lockdown and in about 1.5 Months.

Prime Minister's Office has already announced another phase of lockdown that will last Beyond May 17th (the date on which the lockdown was about to be lifted) 

The Education Ministry is not just putting our lives of students on halt by deciding to wait till the lockdown gets lifted but also breeching the health of every student, civilian, front line worker and everyone. 

Researches have already said that the Coronavirus is going to stay with us for a long time. Even the Prime Minister acknowledges it. That means the lockdown might be lifted before the rate of new infection goes to zero and considering the average increase of 3000 - 4000 cases every day, this is not going to happen anytime soon. 

Provisions have been taken to confirm sanitised exam taking experience, but can the education ministry control situations outside? 

What if an individual is infected on the bus, on his way to the examination centre, and then spreads the contagion elsewhere? Would it be wrong to blame the government then? 

Already there are a few public transportations available to the civilians, and every bus is allowed to be boarded by no more than 20 people. What if I go out to take the exam and wait in the bus stop, and not find a transport to be there on time? 

And let's hope we wait for the infection rate to die down? Do we wait for ages and waste our time, which we could use in looking for colleges for post graduate institutes or preparing for other competitive exams? 

To infection and this pandemic was no one's fault, but that doesn't mean the students need to suffer. 

The solution is simple:

• Do not conduct the final year examination at all and Follow the norms of the Mumbai University. Taking an unanimous decision to not be acting as a negative factor to our job securing or further studies capabilities.

Or 

• Asses the students internally by Assignments, Viva, Research papers, etc. And making sure that the marks we secure will be concidered as legitimate assessment of one's understanding of the subject. 

 

We should learn from the Japanese island of Hokkaido, where the contagion came in a second wave, because of their recklessness. 

Please do not jeopardize our safety.