As you know, the decision to conduct exams for final year students has caused immense unrest among us besides the stress that goes along with it. The number of Covid-19 cases are increasing exponentially and several neighborhoods around Bangalore are sealed down and this trend is expected to continue for several months more. Besides this, students who are not residents of Bangalore have to quarantine themselves and then rely on PGs or rooms which are incredibly unsafe owing to closed spaces and shared facilities(bathroom/kitchen). Several school students have tested positive after the recently concluded SSLC examinations despite staying at their own house with their families. Engineering students hail from states across the country including highly infected states which makes it even more unsafe to conduct examinations. Students have to travel followed by a quarantine period and the risk of infection while travelling is always high.

Coming to the logic of conducting exams only for FINAL year students, we all know that all core and important subjects ( ECE- Network Analysis, Analog Electronics, Digital Electronics, Engineering Electromagnets, Computer Networks, Principles of Communication Systems, Electronics Instrumentation etc) of every engineering branch are taught in the 2nd and 3rd year of engineering. If exams are as important as the university thinks, exams must be conducted for every semester and not just final year students who have already submitted their project, several reports, assignments etc. Private and reputed government universities including IITs and NITs have concluded their semester online and this is the right way to go. Everyone has participated in internal assessments and during a crisis such as this, there is no harm in cancelling external exams especially when the university believes that it is okay for the students of other semesters to be promoted without external exams. Engineering is a course where every single semester matters EQUALLY and final year students shouldn't be treated specially during a pandemic. Several companies have started onboarding those who have got placed while some who haven't, should start looking for jobs as soon as possible. This is not possible till the semester has concluded. This decision to conduct exams may be very critical in the life of several students who may unfortunately get infected. Getting infected is not only a health concern but also can be financial burden for some unfortunate students.

As cliche as this may sound, every life matters and if exams are conducted for final semester students, exams must be conducted for other semesters as well. We want to graduate ASAP, look for jobs, apply for higher education without being subjected to a potential infection.

We request you to understand the depth of this matter, hope that you do what is right and support our cause for which we would be forever grateful. We are longing for this decision to be changed so that we can move on with our lives safely.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

A concerned final year student.