ABVP reaches out to students over educational issues amid lockdown, to submit memorandum to PM Modi

Over 87,000 volunteers of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) reached out to over 8.68 lakh students through phone on May 11 and 12 amid the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus and discussed various challenges facing the education sector today.

ABVP said in a release that its 87,868 volunteers reached out to students and an opinion has emerged that various modes of examinations like "carry over exams, open-book exams, reports and assignments and continuous evaluation must be preferred over mass promotion".

It said that during the outreach, students prominently raised examination- related issues.

The release said that issues with accessibility of the internet and lack of proper online infrastructure with universities to conduct exams resulted in students asking for options like "carry over examinations".

ABVP said it believes that no option which is exclusionary and puts at a disadvantage even one single student must be adopted.

The release said that students also expressed their wish that subjects like disaster management and Yoga be included in courses, classrooms should be technically adept, a common policy for entrance examinations be agreed upon and relaxation provided in age limit for students to appear in various competitive examinations.

It said ABVP will submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a detailed discussion on these topics.

Nidhi Tripathi, national general secretary, ABVP, said that Parishad's style of functioning "is one of constant, 365 days a year activity".

"Continuing with the same our volunteers have tried to get to know the opinions of the student community on a wide scale."

"We will submit memoranda to administrations at various levels based on the suggestions shared by students. Momentous changes are required to ensure the best for the student community and bold steps, at the very basic level, need to be taken to make sure that our education sector keeps up with the times," Tripathi said.

She said the student community needs to take steps to prepare itself for major changes.

( With inputs from ANI )