The Mumbai University has set up two flying squads of Information Technology experts to check paper leaks in colleges affiliated to it.
The teams will be part of the Company Infrastructure Inspection Committee and would pay surprise visits to examination centres. They would also look into whether colleges are following the standard operating procedure while receiving the question papers online.
A single member committee had recommended setting up the teams after question papers of the Bachelor of Management Studies and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance) exams were leaked recently.
The committee found that colleges were “flouting the SOP laid down by the Digital Exam Paper Delivery System either deliberately or due to plain ignorance”.
Under the system, which was introduced in 2013, the MU digitally transfers question papers to examination centres in colleges. The passwords for unlocking the papers are later sent to the mobiles of the principals and one of their nominees.
An MU official said, “The links of the question papers are first sent to the colleges. The passwords to download the papers are sent much later. Colleges are expected to download the question papers only from a desktop computer, never a laptop, and only in an CCTV-equipped enclosed room.”
The official said CCTV cameras are also required to be installed near the photostat machines while copies of the question papers are being made. The official said that the committee realised all colleges and staff were not aware of the procedures and recommended forming flying squads to implement the security measures.
