Testing times: 10 months since exams, result deadlock continues for PU BA-BEd students

Chandigarh: Almost a year after appearing for their first semester exams in December 2024, 98 students of the four-year BA-BEd integrated course at Panjab University's Institute of Educational Technology & Vocational Education (IETVE) are still waiting for their results. This delay can jeopardise scholarships for those from disadvantaged backgrounds.The exams were held in December 2024, but the results have not been declared yet. The delay has left students unable to renew their scholarships on the National Scholarships Portal, where the last date to apply is October 31. To avail of the second-year scholarship, students must upload their first-semester marksheets, which remain unavailable.With the fee for the third semester exceeding Rs 30,000, many have found it difficult to pay upfront and are worried as they may not get reimbursed if the deadline is missed."We are fed up with asking the chairperson every other day for months now," said one student who depends on a govt scholarship meant for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. "We can't apply for scholarships, our academic records are incomplete, and there's no clarity from the department. It's been nearly a year since we wrote those papers."According to students, while results for most first-semester undergraduate courses at the university were declared months ago, the BA-BEd batch was left out due to "technical discrepancies" in credit calculations after the introduction of new norms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.Controller of Examinations Prof Jagat Bhushan confirmed the delay, citing credit-based computation changes introduced by the department. "There was an issue in calculation on the department's side after the new NEP rules came into effect," he said. "Everything is clear from our end now. The result will be declared very soon."Repeated attempts to contact the institute's chairperson, Assistant Prof Amritpal Kaur, went unanswered.Students say the situation is particularly distressing for those relying on scholarships to continue their education. "If the result isn't uploaded before the deadline, our scholarships lapse. How are we supposed to manage fees then?" said a student who is an SC scholarship scheme beneficiary.The delay has sparked growing frustration, with students calling it a "failure of accountability" that has left them stuck between policy transition and administrative inertia. With less than 10 days left for the scholarship deadline, students are demanding an immediate release of results.Scholarship deadline nearsUnder the National Scholarships Portal, students must upload their first-semester result to renew their scholarships for the second year. The deadline is October 31, leaving PU's BA-BEd students unable to apply as results remain pending.