DU Economics Results Out, Many Marked Absent or Failed

After delaying it for months, Delhi University finally declared the first-semester results for Economics students on May 26. While finally giving relief to students, the mark sheets have some major issues, according to students from different colleges across Delhi.

Vaishnavi, a first-year Economics honours student from Gargi College has been marked absent in one of her core subjects despite having sat for the exams. “I have been marked absent with 0 credits and I don’t know how this whole problem will be resolved with the second-semester exams knocking at the door,” she said.

As many as 15 students out of 50 have been marked absent with 0 credits, and around four students have been marked fail with 0 credits.

As soon as the results were out, Gargi College students reached out to the examination branch of DU. “Our teacher in charge along with other professors and lecturers have been trying to solve the issue,” said Vaishnavi.

Another student Mamik, who has been marked fail with 0 credits in both the core papers, has written a letter to the principal as he is confident about his performance in the exam. “I will be applying for re-evaluation; this is a technical glitch as I did well in the exam,” he said.

Students also observe that most of them have got similar marks.

Sakshi, a first-year Eco honours student said there are many glitches. “Many have been marked absent and many have failed in the core subjects. There is also an average marking,” she added.

According to a student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, around 11-12 students have faced this problem of being marked failed with 0 credits.

Gaurav Bhattacharya, a teacher of mathematical methods for economics in Gargi College said, “There is a pattern where students with names starting from S to V mostly have been marked absent, though they were present in the examination.”

Bhattacharya also informed that most of the students have scored very low in the microeconomics and core papers subjects. “Since the results came out, students are calling and complaining about the issues. I have suggested them to apply for reevaluation.”

Vinay Gupta, Dean of Examination, DU was not available for comment on the phone even after trying for two consecutive days.

Another DU economics teacher who was the part of the evaluation group of teachers, talked requesting anonymity about the possible reasons why students were marked absent or failed with 0 credits. “There is a possibility that answer scripts were not checked properly because of which students have been marked weirdly, and since DU wanted to announce the result soon, the results have many technical glitches.”

He said the evaluation took place in Kalindi College and because of the DUTA protest many teachers did not go, and soon after that the lockdown started. “In March beginning, I enquired how many papers are left for evaluation and was informed that around 40 bundles remain, each consisting of 25 answer sheets. The conveyor asked teachers to come for evaluation because very few were going, and it took longer.”

Empathising with the students he said that for students to score 0 is unexpected, as the first semester economics course is quite mathematical, and “there is a step marking process too. It is a bit weird that someone will score zero.”