Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

External experts to set CSS question papers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In what it has termed as a ‘course correction’ for the credit and semester postgraduate courses in teaching departments, the University of Kerala will ask ‘external’ experts to set question papers for the end-semester examinations for the first three semesters also.

The question papers of the final semester examinations of the credit and semester system (CSS) PG courses in the teaching departments are already being set by external experts selected by the Controller of Examinations from a panel prepared by the department concerned.

Till now the question paper for the first three end-semester examinations were being set by the teacher who teaches that particular course. That teacher is supposed to set three sets of question papers out of which one gets selected. The evaluation was done by the teacher concerned and an external examiner.

Now, while the mode of evaluation for the first three end-semester examinations will remain the same, the question paper will be set by an expert identified by the Controller from a panel of such experts.

This decision of the university has found support among many academics even as many others say they are apprehensive that this move may retard the effective conduct of the credit and semester system (CSS) in the University. The CSS was something that the University has always showcased to such agencies as the University Grants Commission and to the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NACC). The re-accreditation of the University by the NAAC is due in early 2008.

According to Vice-Chancellor M.K. Ramachandran Nair this decision was taken in the backdrop of widespread complaints from students, alumni and from the academic community itself about the ineffectual nature of the conduct of the ‘internal’ end-semester examinations.

“Students and alumni complained that teachers would teach only a fraction of what is to be completed in a semester and ask questions only from that portion. Sure, the students got a lot of marks. Only later on did they realise their true predicament. Over the past few years we tried hard to reform the system without changing it. Now we felt it was time to make this course correction. We are not tampering with the CSS system in any manner,” he said.

This view of the Vice-Chancellor was echoed by a senior faculty member in a social science department.

The senior lecturer pointed out that when the university conducts examinations directly there is more likelihood of adherence to a schedule.

“We were not able to offer inter-departmental electives because one department would be in the first semester and another, in the second. Now this may change. Since it is the department itself that is going to do the evaluation I don’t think the publication of the results would change in any way,” he explained.

Though Dr. Ramachandran Nair claimed unanimous support from the academic community for this “course correction” there are heads of departments who accuse the University of throwing the baby out with the bathwater in this case.

The head of a science department in the University said here that the University should have tried harder to make errant department fall in line with CSS norms. Now, he argued, all those departments that conducted internal examinations with integrity are being clubbed with those that cheated on the system.

“This is a reward of sorts for those who did not want to take the trouble of teaching properly and taking the effort to set meaningful question papers. It is not without reason that the CSS norms mandate setting of question papers by the person who taught a course. It is part and parcel of the concept of continuous evaluation,” he said.

Improving the CSS is critical to the university as it gears up for NAAC’s reaccreditation next year.

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