1. Why are the exams being delayed?
TU Exams are delayed due to the
following underlying factors:
1.1. Tenders:
TU Exams are delayed because
these exams need to open a tender for printing answer sheets, which we write on,
in the examinations. IOST, in particular, takes a long time to process these
tenders due to various factors that will be touched upon as you read this
paper.
1.2. Coding:
There is a fundamental flaw in
the answer paper that we receive in our CSIT answer sheets issued by IOST that
becomes immediately apparent if one pays close enough notice to the details in
these papers. Remember your early SLC Answer papers and even your HSEB Answer
sheets? Did they not have punched numbers in the form of dotted holes across
the main sheet? Okay I think now you’re getting the picture. Yes, your IOST
answer-sheet lacks this feature which causes an inherent flaw in paper-checking
process. (Now you ask: Why is the paper checking relevant for issuing
Exams? Be patient and we will touch upon that topic as you read this. Even I
was unaware of this before. It is a deep rabbit-hole my friend and I’m taking
my time to type this instead of my college-assignment because you need to know
the fundamental flaw with our system). The answer-sheets are not ‘coded’
properly which identifies the front page with the rest of its corresponding main-sheet.
(A/N: More on this later). It is not that TU people with IOST have been slouching
– they have been trying to correct this flaw too but they have so far not
managed to achieve some substantial outcome – I could sum up the reason by
saying that this work is going slow because it is sarkari.
1.3. Poor Staff Management
As good and dandy the department
of Institute of Science and Technology sounds, we must also be aware that we
are not the ONLY people under that department. In my own humble opinion,
IOST handles a lot of courses than it can feasibly handle which makes it VERY inefficient.
Yes, there is a separate entity akin to what you’d call a sub-department(which
according to http://tribhuvan-university.edu.np/
is apparently a central department *laughs*) in TU to handle CSIT but the
staff allotted for that is too far and few in retrospect with other similar
courses by TU. If the same people are responsible for opening and managing the
tenders, setting up the question, checking the said answer-sheet, releasing what
some simulation-specialists would say ‘truly-random’ exam routine dates, all the
while juggling four and a half semesters for their respective exams which
happen much too often at the same time with each other for the student’s
comfort; that’s when I say – and quote me – that’s management gone wrong. Very
wrong.
1.4. Let’s break this down, shall we?
1.4.1. Exam time for
Semester(n) is nearby
1.4.2. TU IOST issues a tender
for answer-sheets to write in those exams
1.4.3. Tenders are processed SLOWLY because some part of the system wants to fix the system while some other part goes on with the traditional improperly ‘coded’ answer-sheets
1.4.4. Those defective answer-sheets now fall in the hands of those who made the question papers after the exam for being checked
1.4.5. Since they are improperly coded, these people are the only people that are able to check these answer-sheets because once the first page it torn off from the rest of the main-sheet after checking, there is no going back; Which prevents them from sending out these papers for being checked
/*Remember, these are the same people who also make
Questions for Semester(n+2)’s Exam which is happening soon and issue results
for Semester(n+3) which will probably happen before Semester(n+2)’s exam(It’s
the usual pattern). They've got a lot to juggle; no wonder they are failing
miserably to deliver some performance*/
1.4.6. All this stuff takes a lot of time and while this field-trip is almost about to be over, it’s about time for Semester(n+1)’s exam.
1.4.7. So, you know
what? If n<9 then n++ and goto
Step 1.4.1
*Vicious Inefficient Cycle Repeat baby!*
1.4.8. The complexity of this algorithm is over 9000!
2. So why are Back-papers delayed?
You are going places my friend, if you have read all of this
and, still not realized why we’re getting a one-year back-paper delay. But then
again, I don’t read TOC type articles too so I can’t blame you, my fellow reader.
So let’s get on with the issue again okay?
2.1. Return of the Tenders: Tenders terror again!!!
Tenders take upto 2-3 months to
process and this, while ideally should happen a long time before our exams
begin, doesn’t happen so much on time. Tender processing kills so much time that
instead of hosting a separate back-paper exam like many other bachelor’s programs
do, we have to wait a whole year to give exams along with our juniors. This
back-paper thing doesn’t take more than 45 days in most colleges, but it’s just
added-work to already inefficient processes in IOST, which leads to the reason
why it is disregarded.
2.2. Sequel to: Coding
A quick flashback to coding at
topic 1.2 and you can already see the problem (I hope!?*fingers-crossed*).
Inefficiently coded papers means inefficiency in the paper checking process;
which means you will probably get your result, sometimes, long after you forget
the full-form of that subject acronym you gave your exams for! If the answers
sheets were efficiently coded, then the sheets could be transported to various teachers
outside the central department to be checked anonymously. The re-totaling could
then have been done quite easily and quickly in about a day in the central
department. Alas, that we might have to wait for! *maybe our junior’s-junior’s-junior’s-junior’s-junior’s-junior’s-
junior’s-junior’s-junior’s-junor’s-junior’s-junior’s-junior-junior’s-junior’s-junior’s-junor’s-junior’s-junior
(who could even be some friend’s child) might see that glorious day in
the foreseeable future*
2.3. What if you’re asked to look right and left at
the same time?
Topic 1.3 deals with this issue and I can see how I would
affect the delay in our back-papers. Hope you go back and read that if you
tried to skip that part you sneaky reader! *I gotcha*
2.4. How can other Bachelor’s programs do it?
We’ve apparently picked the short end of the straw on this
one. Its all about management issues – whether it be budgeting or staff
management. Some factors also include the long and rich history as a bachelor’s
program in case of Engineering(BE) which gives it ample time to have corrected
similar mistakes from the past. In other cases, like BIM, it falls under the
jurisdiction of the management faculty (not IOST), which gives it an edge as
there are fewer bodies that it looks into. CSIT on the other hand is part of a
great chatpate of faculties and central departments with various spices which
sometimes makes your belly hurt.
3. Resolution? (How can WE do it in the future?)
Yes, as far as I know, they’re trying to resolve this issue
at their end and CSITAN is certainly pushing the issue forward – It has already
addressed several ones. You can follow their events via facebook or their own website. CSITAN holds sessions
with TU periodically to address and resolve several issues like this.
3.1. A better answer-sheet format
It is currently shrouded in mystery and vaguely unknown, why
TU is not opting for better tender proposals to print their answer-sheets; but
as much is apparent that this issue will not remain an ‘issue’ for long if a
better format is implemented. After all, GIGO right? Elementary thing, one
would think.
3.2. Divide and Conquer
Send out answer sheets, have them checked anonymously and
calculate the marks over some snacks and tea on the central department – Ease and
peace of mind for both students and teachers at CDCSIT.
3.3. Using computers
Using computers for a course called Computer Science and
Information Technology sounds fitting. A marriage or tech and answer-check, that’s what we need. No need to go into huge details; If there were even a
simple token system or a bar-code to identify a unique paper, think about how
fast things could be done!
3.4. CSITAN
There is currently only one organization which has the drive
to solve the issues for CSIT students. Follow their movements and participate
in their active sessions in whatever way you can to help things move forward.
You can send them your valuable feedback at info@csitan.org.np
4. FFAQs
4.1. Is protest the answer?
Think about it - In an effectively
crippled system where the workload is greater than what it can handle, what
would any disruption do to speed things up?
Take a minute to think about it
dear reader.
Now take a deep breath because you have probably reached the
same conclusion that I did a good while ago. Yes, it achieves nothing. It achieves absolutely
NOTHING. While there may be short term gains (which is v.v.v.very highly
unlikely, there is also a possibility that your movement will be
counter-productive) and while sometimes they are absolutely necessary, now is not quite that time. You are now between a rock and a hard place: Would you like
to solve your delay problems by.. adding delay? ( m8 w8 wait what?)
[Still not convinced? Fire up your questions in
the comment section!]
(FAQ’s will be updates based on
comment responses and DM’s that I receive)
tl;dr version: THIS article in 10 or less sentences.
- Exam papers and Back-papers both delay because of badly placed tenders, poor management, and bad answer-sheet format. The rest of the process happens pretty fast.
- Getting a better answer-sheet format solves almost everything and cuts this delay to other bachelor’s programs respective levels
- Should you protest? Hells no, Because protest = delay(Read topic 4.1 for details)
- What should you do? Follow CSITAN events and movements because they exist for you.
What do you think of this? you can comment your opinions or mail us your thoughts at csitauthority@gmail.com
Blogger Comments:
Emoticon Emoticon