Education Online at Usha Martin University, Ranchi, Jharkhand

Government of India announced complete lockdown from the midnight of March 24, 2020, because of infections caused by non-living novel corona virus, which supposedly originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan. This was the beginning of a nightmare for everyone including those connected with education. Schools and colleges were closed down with immediate effect and billions of students were confined to the safety of their homes. In fact, every activity came to a standstill. When it was realized that the battle would be long-drawn, alternatives were sought for. After detailed discussions in various meetings involving educational planners and educationists, online mode of teaching was accepted. This new mode was a great challenge because of its newness for teachers as well as students but it was met squarely by education providers—teachers as well as administrators. Usha Martin University (UMU) was no exception to this.

As such, online teaching-learning was a compulsion to break the chain of infections and minimize the educational ‘losses’. It soon emerged as the new normal. Teaching online includes conducting classes through Google Meet or Zoom and providing study material to the students, interacting in chat sessions with them. These were virtually unheard of among the students in India in general and Jharkhand in particular. The method of testing and evaluation has also undergone changes though proctoring during online examination has been an issue. UMU has been seamlessly conducting classes as well as examinations, both term-end and entrance, through online mode and deserves appreciation.

Anjani Kishore Sahay
Director, Corporate Relations