Maharashtra: Students camp atop hillock for network to give online exam

Online finalyear exams have not only required universities in Maharashtra to explore digital solutions but also pushed students the extra mile or several milesAs per a report in The Indian Express Mathura Vasave 22 TYBSc student from Nandurbarrsquos Akkalkuwa town camped on a hillock in Balaghat with two of her women friends for two weeks ndash the entire duration of their finalyear exams as that was the only place they could manage to get network on their phones in order to attempt their online papersAlso readUnable to afford laptop for online classes college student ends lifeJust four days ahead of the exam Vasave had dipped into her familyrsquos savings to purchase a smartphone that cost Rs 7500 half of which is yet to be paidldquoExams started on October 12 We couldnrsquot find cellphone range in our village So we walked for nearly three hours to the hillock with camping equipment We built a temporary shelter using tin sheets cooked our food and went into the jungle to bathe We were not alone students from nearby villages had also come to camp at the same hillockrdquo she saidIt was the first time that Vasave had lived away from her family She felt a sense of relief when she could return to the comfort of her homeOnline finalyear exams have not only required universities in Maharashtra to explore digital solutions but also pushed students the extra mile or several miles as in the case of students in Nandurbar like VasaveAlso readMaharashtra government to start WhatsAppbased weekly exams for stateboard schoolsAfter encountering several issues on the first day of their online exams that began on October 14 students Vinay Dagor Sandeep Naravde and Sachin Bomble of Pune Universityaffiliated Dr BN Purandare Arts College decided to appear for their exams from underneath a tree outside a restaurant opposite the university ldquoThe man who runs the restaurant is a friend He allowed us to use the WiFi at his restaurant for which we collectively paid him Rs 500 We usually sit under a tree outside his hotelrdquo said DagorFor Dagor it was a 30minute walk to the spot but Naravde had to hitchhike from Khopoli which is an hour away Bomble who lives in Pimpaloli village hitched a ride on a passing truckMeanwhile Ram Chandure an Army personnel posted in Ranchi obtained special permission to appear for his finalyear sociology exams The 24yearold had found a spot in the living area of the cantonment space that offered a decent mobile connectionldquoI prepared for my exams after finishing duty everyday While I managed to appear for the exams several of my friends posted in other areas could not do so due to connectivity issues Appearing for exams in the middle of duty hours is difficult but so far I have managedrdquo said Chandure a student of Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open UniversityLata More Principal of Nandurbarrsquos Surupsing Hirya Naik College of Education said online exams may have been an alternative to ensure the safety of students from COVID19 but they arenrsquot a sustainable concept for students in the stateAlso readMumbai CM okays reopening of schools after DiwalildquoNinety percent of our students hail from adivasi padas tribal settlements where internet connectivity is not constant Many of them have borrowed smart phones from friends or relatives to appear for the exams and that too from open farmlands hillocks and at times over trees We have had to teach them to properly position themselves to abiding by the lsquofacial recognitionrsquo rules in the exam softwarerdquo she addedOf the 390090 finalyear students of Jalgaon University 14474 have opted to appear for offline examsSiddharth Ingle president of the Maharashtra Students Union said ldquoStudents have faced several difficulties in appearing for online exams and also for attending online lectures We have appealed to the government to begin physical learning of students from November onwards adopting a standard operating procedure for health safetyrdquoKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news