Editor,
On behalf of the student community, we seek to express our views on the use of unfair means by students in the online at-home exams conducted by NEHU for undergraduate students. The use of unfair means by students has assumed dangerous proportions. A candidate sitting in his/her home or together with classmates is writing exams. In such a situation, copying in examinations goes on unchecked. It is a system of examination with no invigilators. In fact, these online examinations have become a farce. Examinations have lost their meaning. The purpose of holding an examination is to test the ability of the students. Any system of examinations that does not serve this end is purposeless. To administer an online at-home exam, a number of factors need to be in place to ensure that the exam produces valid, reliable, and fair results.
Remote proctoring is also key to monitor test takers’ behaviour to prevent malpractice. For example, some online exam proctoring software can access the test-takers webcam, microphone, browser activity, and keyboard and mouse to monitor their behaviour during the exam, and any suspicious behaviour is reported to test administrators for review.
If NEHU does not have such a system in place to maintain transparency and fairness in an online at-home exam, we then urge the University authorities to go for the conventional examination system, which is a fair and authentic way of testing.
Getting a degree takes a great deal of time, effort, money and dedication. We pick up skills and knowledge along the way and hope this will help us bag our dream job. But we are in the hands of the incompetent NEHU Examination Department. Students are facing problems in applying for admission to different universities due to delay in procuring their mark sheets and registration cards.
NEHU has the responsibility to help students steer their passions towards making the world a better place.
Yours etc.,
John A Mylliemngap
Shillong-3
TMC bombshell!
Editor,
The TMC bombshell that struck the landscape of Meghalaya on Thursday with 12 Congress MLAs defecting from the grand old party and entering a relatively new one is expected particularly with the latest political developments soon after the appointment of VH Pala by AICC. Now, out of the 17 Congress MLAs in Meghalaya, 12 led by former CM, Dr. Mukul Sangma have left the party similar to what we see in other states in the country. Till Wednesday, Meghalaya was one of the biggest states with maximum Congress MLAs and it would be really interesting to see what the remaining five do now. Will they go the BJP or NPP way? This defection may well have been engineered by political strategist and tactician, Prashant Kishor, whose recent visit to the town has raised many eyebrows. With this defection, the Congress ship has sunk in Meghalaya; the region and the country at large. One can even attribute this decimation to the attitude of the AICC and the shrouded trio of Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka.
It is curious though as to why the 12 MLAs have chosen TMC over BJP given the fact that that latter is in power in several states in this region whereas TMC is aspiring only for Tripura – which may well discard it. How far the electorate in Meghalaya will respond to this defection only 2023 will say but this development also gives warning signs to the BJP. The saffron party in the state today is as barren as its President’s and a legislator’s “top”. The latter may even switch sides to NPP if we go by a news report in this daily on Nov 23, 2021, despite the Deputy CM’s apparent lack of awareness. Nonetheless, the political spectrum in Meghalaya is set to see numerous hues emerging, leading to the 2023 assembly polls for sure. That the BJP has not been able to cash in from the Congress defection here while a political party eleven hundred kms away in Kolkata led by a mercurial lady finds favour in this State certainly raises pertinent questions for the BJP think-tank in Meghalaya and New Delhi. The two-man show at the Bivar Road office of the BJP here needs to wake up before it is too late. But then in politics, we can never be too sure of anything. The 12 Congress turncoats can even colour themselves saffron in times to come.
Yours etc.
BC Paul
Shillong – 4
Congress in disarray
Editor
The exit of 12 Congress MLAs and their joining the Trinamool Congress is a master stroke and a political craft. The exit of the 12 MLAs from the Congress to the TMC was expected considering the fact that not all was well in the overall functioning of the AICC in appointing various office bearers in crucial positions and the appointment of Mr Pala as MPCC President was done in an undemocratic manner throwing away all the rules of inner-party democracy to the winds. The statement of the MPCC President and his remarks on the CLP leader in spite of being in the same boat-house was unprecedented as well as surprising. If personal issues takes over professionalism it does not bode well for any organisation.
Another factor is that too much importance was being given to inexperienced people with the notion being floated that anyone who wanted to be part of the current Congress team would have to have money. Money is not everything; it throws all ethics aside. However TMC will surely be the determining party to shape the 2024 elections and Mamata Banerjee’s humble background along with her political sagacity as a leader to take everyone along speaks well of her. She is perhaps someone that this nation needs. Hope the winds of change would usher in a better future for the state or else we are damned.
Yours etc…
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Shilong