Kolkata: The West Bengal State Council of Technical & Vocational Education & Skill Development (WBSCT&VE &SD) will allow its diploma students to appear in the viva voce through telephonic call for internal assessment. The move comes considering the fact that internet or smartphone linkage with 100 percent students is a far cry in the country and the state being not an exception. "In the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, the internal assessment in theoretical subjects will be conducted by the institutions through online mode. Home assignment may be given through e mail or viva voce through WhatsApp video conferencing, Google Meet or any other online platform. However, students having no internet facility or smart phone shall be allowed to appear in the viva voce through telephone call for their internal assessments. For such cases, concerned students have to inform their Institute on prior basis, " said a senior official of WBSCT&VE &SD. However, for all annual system diploma courses, marks shall be awarded on the basis of already conducted internal assessments prior to 23rd March, 2020. Theoretical (written) examinations in conventional "Pen & Paper" mode and external sessional examinations for the even semesters/annual system of all diploma courses in the academic session 2019-20 will not be possible in the current Covid pandemic situation. In the alternative mode of assessment too, distribution pattern of marks for the theoretical subjects shall remain unaltered. However, for the sessional subjects, entire marks will be allotted through internal assessments by the respective institutes. "The complete details of the alternative mechanism adopted have been uploaded in the website of the Council," said Purnendu Basu, Minister for Technical Education, Training & Skill Development. However, if any student is not satisfied with his/her marks obtained in any of the theoretical subjects through the alternative mode of assessment, he/she may appear in conventional examination in "Pen & Paper" mode for the concerned subject(s), only after complete normalisation of the prevailing COVID-19 crisis. The present number of polytechnic institutions in the state is 148 that includes both government as well as private ones.

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