Coronavirus impact | IITs to grade students based on past results, hold viva on video calls

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are planning to change the way their courses are offered to make sure that no student suffers from year loss or misses out on job opportunities due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The premier higher educational institutes are working on models that would facilitate early graduation for students by offering take-home examinations. They are also planning to grade students on the basis of past performances and have already introduced viva exams via video-conferencing.

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According to a Live Mint report, for the spring 2020 semester, IIT Kharagpur has planned to replace the end semester exam with other evaluation systems such as past performance, marks secured in mid-semester exams, assignments, and viva-voce.

Meanwhile, IIT Delhi students have been given the option to fast-track the graduation process and get their degrees by June or stick to the regular graduation process and wait for their degrees till the end of July or longer. The latter will depend on the how coronavirus pandemic unfolds in the coming months, which according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has not reached its peak in the country yet.

V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT-D, said: “All early-graduation requirements will be met through an online process. No student will need to come to campus. It will involve take-home examinations, telephonic interviews, and online tests. The graduating batch can decide on an early graduation option or go through the regular graduation process and follow a regular schedule for graduation," he said.

IIT Kanpur, on the other hand, has decided not to detain any student in view of the COVID-19 crisis. A special grading system has been adopted by the institute, whereby students will be awarded A, B, C and S grades. The process will reportedly be over by June 30.

IIT Kanpur students pursuing masters will be allowed to submit their projects, in case they could not complete their research work for the thesis due to the nationwide lockdown.

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