DU students to file RTI over tests

[karira]

DU students to file RTI over tests

Students of Delhi University (DU) are going to file an RTI (Right to Information) application on Tuesday, demanding the names of officials to be held responsible if an ordinance regarding internal assessment is not implemented by colleges.

According to DU's ordinance on internal assessment, teachers are supposed to give assignments or projects as part of internal assessment. As reported by the Hindustan Times on December 15, students claimed that teachers take class tests in lieu of projects to save themselves the task of checking papers and returning them to students, in a clear violation of the ordinance.

The RTI is also going ask certain "uncomfortable questions" about the university's monitoring mechanism regarding internals, they said.
Youth Task Force, the students' forum that is going to file the RTI application, initiated a signature campaign on Monday against the issue terming the class tests "illegal".

Students from the forum posted themselves at the Vishwavidyalaya Metro station early in the Morning with a huge banner saying "DU says written assignments, then why tests?"

Members approached fellow students and curious passersby to explain
the issue with a copy of the DU ordinance in hand. By the end of a three-hour outing, they were able to collect around 100 signatures on the banner.

"We wanted people to know the issue. Seeing the writing on the banner, several students approached us for more information. The right information is the key to strengthening the campaign," said Erut Narain, a second-year student of Dayal Singh College.

To get the issue highlighted more, the group has decided to hang the banners at various college fests and functions. "We will post ourselves at the fests and collect signatures. This is an issue that affects every student," said Neelima, a first-year student of Hindu College and member of the forum.

Students said that eventually they would take up the case with competent authorities to get the system of "needless class tests" abolished. "We already have a House Examination. Therefore, any other class test is not only illegal but needless as well," said Apeksha, a student of Miranda House and member of YTF.


DU students to file RTI over tests - Yahoo! India News

[karira]

As reported on Yahoo News on 24 January 2008:
Students move info act, DU is evasive - Yahoo! India News

Students move info act, DU is evasive

Thu, Jan 24 02:05 AM

EVER TRIED to find out how colleges in Delhi University conduct the internal assessment of their students? After Hindustan Times reported how several DU colleges were holding class tests instead of asking students to write assignments, a students' group called the Youth Task Force moved the Right to Information (RTI) Act, asking some basic questions. But instead of providing a direct reply, DU simply handed over a photocopy of the internal assessment ordinance.

"This has been happening to many of us. Students in many colleges are being asked to write tests in lieu of assignments, which is basically in contravention of the DU ordinance on internal assessment that specifically allocates 10 per cent marks for assignments, 10 per cent for home exams and 5 per cent for attendance.

When we asked DU to tell us how many colleges were holding tests instead of handing out assignments, the university had no answer. They just gave us a photocopy of the ordinance, instead of answering our queries," said Aditya N.

Prasad, a student of Hans Raj College. Prasad is a member of the Youth Task Force.

Hindustan Times has seen a copy of the reply. The group had approached the university with some basic queries like if teachers were allowed to conduct tests instead of assignments for internal assessment, how many colleges allowed tests in lieu of assignments and if there was a monitoring committee for internal assessment.

"We had asked for the names and designations of such members if a committee existed. And also the names of persons responsible for implementation of the internal assessment rules.

But DU failed to provide us with any information," said Saurabh Sharma, a member of the group. The university has also been mum on issues like departmental action against those who failed to implement the internal assessment rule.

"The university has also failed to mention what action it plans to take to correct the discrepancy in the implementation of the policy," said Sharma. The group has decided to forward its complaint to the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).

"We are not satisfied with the DU Public Information Officer's reply and we are filing a complaint with the CIC for denial of information," said Prasad.

[karira]

As reported by Hamari Jamatia on expressindia.com on 8 March 2008:
DU students turn to RTI over internal assessment - Latest News - Friday , March 07, 2008 at 11:33:34

DU students turn to RTI over internal assessment

New Delhi, March 6 Unhappy over the trend of class tests replacing written assignments, as dictated by Delhi University for internal assessment, a group of students have decided to seek answers through RTI.

In the coming week, around five students will file RTI applications in SRCC, Miranda House, Hindu College, Hansraj College, Kirori Mal College and St Stephen’s College to enquire whether these colleges check the implementation of internal assessment or not.

This move comes after Erut Narain, a student of Delhi University, filed an RTI application in February concerning the implementation of internal assessment. On Wednesday, he received a reply containing a two-page photocopy of the ordinance related to internal assessment. “It is clear from the reply that there are no standard procedures for making sure the ordinance is followed at the university level. We will now check with individual colleges to find out what they do to maintain this rule,” he said.

According to DU ordinances, five marks are allotted for written assignments.
Ratan Lal, a history teacher in Hindu College, said that at present, internal assessment is at the mercy of individual teachers and blames the university for it. “While coming up with new ideas the university does not take into consideration implementation. There is no monitoring committee to check violations, so obviously teachers will take tests,” he said.

According to a student of Kirori Mal College, with the exam season starting in April, teachers are in a hurry to meet deadlines for submitting internal assessment marks. So they are increasingly taking tests in lieu of written assignments. While earlier she used to give one test a month, in the last three weeks she has already appeared for six tests for different subjects.

“With written tests, if students are unable to prepare, their entire score comes tumbling down. Written assignments are always better as they test your ability and not memorising skills,” she said.