Ludhiana: Students battle postponement, errors amid PU exam confusion
Panjab University (PU) students are reeling under exam stress as repeated cancellations and last-minute postponements of semester papers have left them frustrated and mentally exhausted. The confusion has largely emerged from a mismatch between the New Education Policy (NEP) and the non-NEP syllabus structures, with question papers often not aligning with the content students were taught.
One glaring example was the BA 6th semester Fine Arts paper, originally scheduled for June 5, which was suddenly postponed to June 11. Similarly, the BA 2nd semester exams for Elective English, Hindi and Punjabi, first set for May 26, were cancelled and held again on May 31. The non-NEP Punjabi Compulsory exam, scheduled for June 10, was pushed to June 14.
Raman Sharma, head of the Punjabi department at Arya College, Ludhiana, said, 'Private students appearing for Punjabi exam faced immense difficulty because they received NEP-based question papers despite following the old syllabus.'
Further complicating matters, MA-Political Science students who appeared for the Foreign Policy of India exam on June 10, reported that the paper had jumbled units, and one section was entirely out of syllabus. 'We gave our best, but if grace marks are not awarded, we will suffer,' said a concerned student. An educator, Rohit, from Ludhiana mentioned that the representations demanding either grace marks or re-examination have been submitted, but the university has yet to respond.
The university's academic calendar has also been disrupted. Officially, summer vacations began on June 1, but due to the rescheduled exams, students are still caught in academic uncertainty. 'We mentally prepare for one exam, only to be told it is postponed. It is harassment,' a student shared.
Brij Bhushan Goyal from SCD Government College's Alumni Association said, 'Higher education is collapsing. Students' voices are being ignored while officials remain indifferent.'
PU controller of examinations Jagat Bhushan admitted that the fault lies with those who prepare the sealed and confidential question papers. 'Even the university struggles with rescheduling. But steps will be taken to avoid such issues in future. Moreover, as the NEP is still in its early stages, it will take time to be implemented effectively and for everyone to adapt to the changes,' he added.
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