Jadavpur University plans to reach out to students with no smartphones as it gears up to start online classes

Jadavpur University is planning to resume classes online for the new semesters. In order to ensure, no students are left behind, the varsity is chalking out way to reach out to those who do not have smartphones.

Jadavpur University has said that it is taking all possible measures to provide study materials and class notes to students in the coming semester during the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country, keeping in mind that many of the students do not have smartphones to access online classes. The university will certainly do something to bridge the digital divide, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Chiranjib Bhattacharya said.

Jadavpur University Teachers' Association recently asked the institute authorities to come up with a way to reach out to students who cannot afford smartphones and hence will be deprived of study materials if online classes are taken in the coming semester, JUTA General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy said.

JUTA also submitted a proposal of holding classes through phone calls where a student will interact with the teacher over the phone at a particular time, Roy said, adding that modalities to implement this can be chalked out in consultation with every stakeholder. "We will certainly arrive at a decision in the best interest of students but within our financial ability," Bhattacharya told a media house.

When asked about the possibility of the varsity arranging smartphones for students who do not have one due to financial crisis, Bhattacharya said that the varsity needs to arrange funds for issues like this. Also, we need to know the number of such students. The varsity had not done any survey concerning the number of students not having smartphones, while student unions of arts, science and engineering faculties have carried out a fact check on their own. 

"We have asked the student unions to share with us the details. We will hold a meeting by next week to discuss these issues and how to make class lectures and other academic activities accessible to the students," he said.

As per the survey done by the Student unions, around 3 per cent of students in engineering and science faculties do not have any smartphone. The figure is comparatively higher in the arts stream in which many students hail from remote areas of the state, the teacher said.

Bhattacharya said that the university is also positive about JUTA's proposal for uploading audio or video of teachers' lectures in the JU portal which can be downloaded by students of the department concerned. However, this too will not help students with no internet connection, he said.

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