Tripura University has amended its undergraduate program rules to encourage all students who submit exam forms and fees, including those who cannot take exams due to medical reasons, up to the fifth semester, regardless of their results.
This decision of the only central university in the province follows the poor results of undergraduate degrees in the first semester and is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP).
Students must complete at least 50 percent of the credits from the major papers in the first five semesters to qualify for the sixth semester examination. Previously, students had to earn at least 50 percent of the total credits in the semester to be promoted. Those who did not meet this requirement had to repeat the entire semester, although passing grades in previous courses or papers would still carry credit.
Director of Higher Education Animesh Debbarma said, “About 8,000 students who are not allowed to attend the second semester will benefit from this decision. NEP was accepted as it has more flexibility and is more student-centered. Students will be promoted to the next semester, but they must repeat those courses and pass the exams in order to receive their certificates.”
The amendments, announced in a notification issued by Registrar Dr Deepak Sharma on Monday, were praised by the BJP-led government and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad but came from other student organisations.
The announcement follows protests by students who have been facing high failure rates in recent semester exams. Last month protests took place at the busy Battle Tri-junction, which connects Agartala with Sepahijala, Gomati and South Tripura districts, with students demanding promotion for all students from the first semester onwards. They cited issues such as “unusual course placement”, inadequate textbooks and other resources, and a lack of students.
Chief Minister Manik Saha, who holds the education portfolio, said Maharaja Bir Bikram University, the only other university in the North-Eastern province, will also take the same decision.
“I accept this decision of both Universities and I hope that it will increase the enthusiasm of students to pursue Higher Education,” he wrote on social media on Tuesday.
NEP and quality concerns
However, the student bodies allied with the Opposition parties blame the current situation in the NEP and its operation without ensuring the necessary infrastructure.
Amir Hussein, leader of Congress student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI), told indianexpress.com, “Successive attempts are being made to destroy the education system of the nation during the ‘twin engine’ government. We have been opposing the NEP since its inception. This policy undermines the education system in this country.”
Hussein said that by deciding to promote everyone regardless of their performance in the exams, the government has admitted its failure.
“Students protested last month after they failed exams. We met with the director of higher education and sought answers as to why nearly 60 students who wrote the exams failed and were forced to live on the streets,” he said. “NSUI feels that if this education policy continues, the education system of the country will soon collapse and relegate it to the middle age.”
Hussein alleges that the programs that led to high school exam failures were adopted to attract students to the “regressive views of the Sanghi government”.
Sandeepan Deb, state secretary of CPM’s Students Federation of India, said, “The CM is making big claims about NEP… It is a shame that the results were announced six months after the first semester…”
However, Sanjit Saha, the national secretary of ABVP, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, said the decision would help reduce the dropout rate and make students more interested in their studies.