Students worried over DU's online exam form submission portal

New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) Just hours after the Delhi University came up with an online portal for filing examination forms for the sixth semester, frequent crashing down of the site and heavy traffic on the portal have left the students concerned.

The students even appealed to the university administration to withdraw the online submission module.

The DU administration, however, has assured the students that it would work on their concerns, but maintained that online submission of forms was the only way out given the present circumstances.

According to the order issued on DU's website on Tuesday, all students of the varsity have to fill the examination forms by May 15 in order to appear for the examinations.

The university has instructed the students to pay examination fees through their college portals or physically at the college after the lockdown is lifted.

However, within hours, the portal crashed multiple times, leaving the students in a fix. "I tried to fill my form multiple times, but on several occasions the site did not load, or the portal crashed after a few steps," said Lakshmi, a student of Rajdhani College.

Meanwhile, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) claimed that the portal was unnecessary and has been designed without taking factors like lack of internet connectivity or hardware specifications for students from areas like Jammu and Kashmir or from economically weaker sections into account.

"You have not taken into consideration the lack of internet connectivity of students from Jammu and Kashmir. Do you want them to not register for exams," questioned NSUI national media in-charge Lokesh Chugh.

Chugh added that the varsity must chalk out a better plan for holding examinations and give up the idea of online tests.

However, the university administration maintained that no students will be left to suffer and those who are unable to submit forms online will be given other alternatives to do the same.

"We won't let the students suffer. The last date of submission of forms is May 15, but if needed we will extend it further. Also, students will be allowed to submit forms physically once the lockdown is lifted," Vinay Gupta, Dean of Examination, DU, told IANS.

He added that the crashing of the portal was reported to the varsity and the administration has decided to increase the speed of the server to accommodate heavy traffic on the portal.