BPUT campus tense over exam centre selection

BHUBANESWAR: Tension mounted on Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) campus here on Wednesday over selection of examination centres and delay in publication of results. Protesting change of examination centres for the sixth and eighth semester examinations of B.Tech, B.Pharm and B.Arch streams scheduled on June 13, the students staged an agitation here.As per a notification by the Director (Examination) of BPUT on Wednesday, separate centres have been assigned for the examinations within the city limits for engineering colleges across the State. The students had earlier demanded permission to write the examinations at their own colleges citing problems in communication.This apart, they are protesting delay in publication of results. “The results of fifth and seventh semesters have not been published, but the authorities have already issued the exam schedule for sixth and eighth semesters. According to BPUT guidelines, there ought to be a gap of one month between the date of publication of results and the subsequent exam,” said a student, Dwarika Mohanty.This apart, the results of about 2,000 students in the second, third and fourth semesters, who had applied for rechecking, had been withheld for the past 10 months, rued the students.On the other hand, BPUT Vice-Chancellor J K Satpathy said the decision to change the examination centres was taken at an academic review meeting and this will have no impact on the examination. “All the centres are within the city limits so the students will not face any difficulty in commuting. Besides, this pattern is followed in examinations for other professional courses across the State and country. I do not see any problem in this arrangement,” Satpathy said.On the delay in publication of examination results, the VC said due to technical snags, the results could not be published on time. “The faculties are working on it and hopefully, the results of both the semesters will be out in a day or two,” he said.Later in the day, the students, under the banner of BPUT Students’ Organisation (BSO), met the Secretary, Higher Education department, C S Kumar, who assured them to look into their problems.The students also demanded release of welfare funds to needy students under BPUT, establishment of a central placement cell, uniform fee structure and adherence to the academic calendar.