Kolkata: Internal assessment is set to account for 25% of the marks awarded to undergraduate students at Calcutta University, a move aimed at encouraging students to attend classes regularly and bringing the institution in line with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.The proposal will be placed before the CU Syndicate at its next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday.“The provision for internal assessment is there in NEP 2020. The system can also help address students’ reluctance to attend classes, as attendance effectively becomes compulsory for taking tests,” vice-chancellor Asutosh Ghosh said.Officials said the proposed continuous internal assessment, under which the affiliated colleges will conduct regular, chapter-based tests throughout the semester, will help students understand the subjects better and ease their academic pressure.The VC pointed out that because of the high volume of answer scripts in end-semester exams, teachers find it difficult to evaluate every paper thoroughly. Internal assessments, he said, will help teachers gauge students’ progress more effectively.Under the current system, 75% marks are allocated to written exams and the rest to tutorials, practicals and project work. In the proposed system, the share for written exams will be reduced to 50%, while that for tutorials, practicals and project work will remain unchanged at 25%. The remaining 25% will be allocated to internal assessments.“This is a much-needed and timely decision. College principals have long been demanding such a system,” said Siuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College. “It was becoming extremely difficult to bring students back to the classroom. The issue came to our attention right after the Covid period. Student attendance has been declining by the day since. Earlier, under CBCS (choice-based credit system), marks were allotted to internal assessment and attendance. It was discontinued after CCF (curriculum and credit framework) was introduced. We all conveyed to the university that there must be a mechanism to ensure students attend classes regularly.”Tilak Chatterjee, principal of Bankim Sardar College in South 24 Parganas, said, “Internal assessment is always better for students’ academic improvement. It ensures thorough preparation and encourages classroom attendance. I feel marks for attendance should be reinstated.”However, a section of undergraduate teachers at CU feel the new system could promote favouritism as colleges will feel tempted to award more marks to their students than they deserve. Addressing this concern, the VC said, “We always strive to ensure our students are assessed for their overall development. In this journey, we should look at the positives rather than the negatives. I hope all colleges will assist us in implementing the system properly.”
