Kamikaze Pilot
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Dear Pakistanis,
I want to share my sorrows but it involves some India-centric topic. I will delete the thread once I get my answer. I would have simply edited my earlier thread but late-editing of threads is not allowed. That’s why....
Dear engineers, Can I sue my university? Please kindly and patiently read this whole stuff and respond to the question properly. Please don’t stop even if you find it tedious.
Till 4th semester I was enthusiastic about studies. In 5th semester, something happened which paralyzed me into inaction.
1st semester result: All subjects passed in first attempt
2nd semester result: One backlog (failed arrear) subject
3rd semester result: All subjects passed despite tough question papers when most of the class failed in atleast one
4th semester result: Few backlog (failed arrear) subjects but I was enthusiastic nevertheless
In 5th semester, I came to know something which devastated me. It was demoralizing. I panicked so much that I started bunking exams. Psychologically the incident affected me so much that for 4-5 months I worried excessively. Some chronic health issues exacerbated the situation. Then newer problems, over which I had no control started. Relatively minor factors compounded the original headache. All these events stretched the duration of the course. What would have been a cakewalk became a horrendously belated task. I believe events wouldn't have taken such turn if the rules were conventional or if I hadn't come to know of them suddenly in the middle of the course. Ill-timed information is worse than ignorance. I took eight more years to complete REMAINING two years of the course. The issue is not the grades but the psychological effect and the consequential loss of years [almost a decade in addition to regular initial 2yrs (2+8=10)].
So what happened in 5th semester? Someone told me the rule that if you fail and have backlog subject, whatever be passing attempt score, for grand total sum and percentage calculation, first attempt marks is considered. Suppose a student fails in three subjects by scoring 25, 31 and 26 and later passes those subjects by scoring 45, 50 and 37, then for grand total sum and percentage calculation, 25, 31 and 26 are again used and not 45, 50 and 37. That way one can score zero marks and percentage and yet become BE/BTech graduate. I am an Engineering degree holder despite my score being just 34%.
The university never gives the information about above rule unless you specifically ask for it. I came to know of it accidentally during 5th semester. I wondered when and how some of my college mates knew about it. Did they dream of the first attempt system before joining the course? They said their seniors told them. Then there were some who passed out but remained oblivious throughout.
Acquainting you with context of rules: To be eligible for next year, we can keep maximum four arrears of current year but each subject of previous years should be passed. For instance, to go to 4th year (7th-8th semesters), we can have four arrears of 3rd year (5th-6th semesters) but no subject from 1st year or 2nd year (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th semesters) should remain unfinished.
Now I explain the predicament. If old subjects are not cleared, the student gets detained. On the other hand, for current subjects, we get a chance to score only in first attempt. So should we concentrate on saving a year or on scoring? Since the new marks obtained by passing backlogs are useless, we turn the attention to fresh subjects. But too much focus on scoring means we risk losing the year by failing to get promoted to higher semester. You may say, “Sacrifice percentage and quickly complete the degree on time.” But those days lecturers warned, “Without decent percentage, the degree is worthless. You won’t get job.”
Normal people can take this first attempt rule in their stride. But for someone having two undiscovered diseases viz. a mysterious neurological condition and an unexplained physical tiredness, this news can give a shock difficult to recover from. Later I found to my dismay that the neurological disease was progressing. So more the delay, tougher it became to finish graduation. Moreover in last stages (8th, 9th and 10th years) other incidents happened.
Is the above rule (usage of first attempt score for everything in my university) a deviant exception in India or is it a normal practice everywhere? Is my thinking correct if I accuse my university of maladministration? If I complain to AICTE, will my complaint be valid? Would it be wise to drag the university to court?
CLARIFICATION: It is not about marks/percentage or field of profession. It’s about loss of years and aging. Had the rule been different or if they had revealed this before admission, I might not have scored any better but I would have finished the degree earlier, say 5-6 or even 4 years. Then I would have had freedom and peace of mind to focus on bank clerical exams, railway clerical exams or school teacher’s exams. Now I am left in lurch. It has become human rights issue because my basic economic security is in danger.
I want to share my sorrows but it involves some India-centric topic. I will delete the thread once I get my answer. I would have simply edited my earlier thread but late-editing of threads is not allowed. That’s why....
Dear engineers, Can I sue my university? Please kindly and patiently read this whole stuff and respond to the question properly. Please don’t stop even if you find it tedious.
Till 4th semester I was enthusiastic about studies. In 5th semester, something happened which paralyzed me into inaction.
1st semester result: All subjects passed in first attempt
2nd semester result: One backlog (failed arrear) subject
3rd semester result: All subjects passed despite tough question papers when most of the class failed in atleast one
4th semester result: Few backlog (failed arrear) subjects but I was enthusiastic nevertheless
In 5th semester, I came to know something which devastated me. It was demoralizing. I panicked so much that I started bunking exams. Psychologically the incident affected me so much that for 4-5 months I worried excessively. Some chronic health issues exacerbated the situation. Then newer problems, over which I had no control started. Relatively minor factors compounded the original headache. All these events stretched the duration of the course. What would have been a cakewalk became a horrendously belated task. I believe events wouldn't have taken such turn if the rules were conventional or if I hadn't come to know of them suddenly in the middle of the course. Ill-timed information is worse than ignorance. I took eight more years to complete REMAINING two years of the course. The issue is not the grades but the psychological effect and the consequential loss of years [almost a decade in addition to regular initial 2yrs (2+8=10)].
So what happened in 5th semester? Someone told me the rule that if you fail and have backlog subject, whatever be passing attempt score, for grand total sum and percentage calculation, first attempt marks is considered. Suppose a student fails in three subjects by scoring 25, 31 and 26 and later passes those subjects by scoring 45, 50 and 37, then for grand total sum and percentage calculation, 25, 31 and 26 are again used and not 45, 50 and 37. That way one can score zero marks and percentage and yet become BE/BTech graduate. I am an Engineering degree holder despite my score being just 34%.
The university never gives the information about above rule unless you specifically ask for it. I came to know of it accidentally during 5th semester. I wondered when and how some of my college mates knew about it. Did they dream of the first attempt system before joining the course? They said their seniors told them. Then there were some who passed out but remained oblivious throughout.
Acquainting you with context of rules: To be eligible for next year, we can keep maximum four arrears of current year but each subject of previous years should be passed. For instance, to go to 4th year (7th-8th semesters), we can have four arrears of 3rd year (5th-6th semesters) but no subject from 1st year or 2nd year (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th semesters) should remain unfinished.
Now I explain the predicament. If old subjects are not cleared, the student gets detained. On the other hand, for current subjects, we get a chance to score only in first attempt. So should we concentrate on saving a year or on scoring? Since the new marks obtained by passing backlogs are useless, we turn the attention to fresh subjects. But too much focus on scoring means we risk losing the year by failing to get promoted to higher semester. You may say, “Sacrifice percentage and quickly complete the degree on time.” But those days lecturers warned, “Without decent percentage, the degree is worthless. You won’t get job.”
Normal people can take this first attempt rule in their stride. But for someone having two undiscovered diseases viz. a mysterious neurological condition and an unexplained physical tiredness, this news can give a shock difficult to recover from. Later I found to my dismay that the neurological disease was progressing. So more the delay, tougher it became to finish graduation. Moreover in last stages (8th, 9th and 10th years) other incidents happened.
Is the above rule (usage of first attempt score for everything in my university) a deviant exception in India or is it a normal practice everywhere? Is my thinking correct if I accuse my university of maladministration? If I complain to AICTE, will my complaint be valid? Would it be wise to drag the university to court?
CLARIFICATION: It is not about marks/percentage or field of profession. It’s about loss of years and aging. Had the rule been different or if they had revealed this before admission, I might not have scored any better but I would have finished the degree earlier, say 5-6 or even 4 years. Then I would have had freedom and peace of mind to focus on bank clerical exams, railway clerical exams or school teacher’s exams. Now I am left in lurch. It has become human rights issue because my basic economic security is in danger.

