‘Jaan Hai, Toh Jahan Hai’: Lucknow Uni Students on Offline Exams

Students at the University of Lucknow say travelling during this pandemic for offline exams is extremely risky.

(Photo: Erum Gour/The Quint)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

The University of Lucknow not only attracts students from the city, but also from other states – like me, from Bihar’s Katihar district. Lucknow is over 900 kilometres from my hometown and the only way for me to reach the Uttar Pradesh capital at the moment is to take a train.

But trains are not running as usual and booking for the special ones are full till 15 July. Because of this, I do not really have a way of travelling all the way to Lucknow. Hence, it is next to impossible for us to reach Lucknow for offline exams, which will begin from 23 July.

But even if I reach Lucknow by train, what is the guarantee that I won’t come in touch with a coronavirus patient during the 25-hour long journey? And If I come in touch, what is the guarantee that I won’t get infected?

If we are lucky, we may not get infected after the long journey. But the risks don’t end here.

Second-year-student Bhavya Singh Baghel, who hails from UP’s Etawah, points out that since a lot of students from outside Lucknow stay in hostels, these places could become new breeding grounds for the virus, especially if there’s a single asymptomatic patient.

“I stay at the Tilak Hostel in Lucknow. Around 250 girls stay here. We share washrooms, rooms and dine at the same mess. You really think we will be able to follow social distancing? If even one person gets the virus, his/her entire family will be at risk.”

Bhavya Singh Baghel

Moreover, as second-year student Rishabh Mishra stresses, for most subjects, there have neither been any online classes nor have we been provided with study material. Because of this situation our syllabus remains incomplete to a large extent. Hence, he feels that “students should be promoted on the basis of marks
obtained in internal assessments”.

I would like to say that we are not afraid of exams, but are only requesting that they not be conducted at this juncture. They can conduct exams when the situation returns to normal. They should inform us through their website.