A recent order from the Controller of Examinations of the Jawaharlal Nehru University directs teachers to provide answers to questions to be asked in the entrance examinations to M.A. and M.Phil/PhD courses — before the exams are held. With examinations to the university scheduled to start on May 16, there is widespread apprehension that providing answers before the examinations are held virtually opened the door to possible leakage of question papers along with their answers.
In a university variously regarded as an ideal example of social inclusion to a Left bastion, this order is being resisted as it is seen to be tinkering with an examination process that has withstood the test of time in the manner in which it has been conducted over the years. Emails sent by The Hindu to the Vice-Chancellor, M. Jagadesh Kumar, and the controller of examinations, Professor H. Sharma, went unanswered.
Objective questionsThe order, dated April 26 and signed by the Controller of Examinations, states: “You are requested to provide the keys of objective questions papers as well as descriptive question papers, as the same is required to be uploaded on the website after the declaration of results.” It is learnt that most of the schools in JNU, like the Schools of International Studies, History and Social Sciences, are likely to reject the order.
Mass-scale riggingProfessor Aditya Mukherjee, one of the teachers, fears it is likely to open the door to mass-scale rigging. “Besides, how can you provide an objective answer to descriptive questions on social sciences,” he asked.
Another professor, Archana Prasad, said: “It is unprecedented that answers have been sought in advance. What is the purpose behind this exercise?”
Professor Rajat Datta said: “Evaluation is the preserve of teachers. Why is the administration usurping the powers of the teachers?” Besides the issue of propriety, the teachers also point out that such an exercise is going to be a tedious one.
