Economics paper of B.Com third semester exam in circulation on WhatsApp
Within 48 hours of the leak of a question paper meant for B.Com third semester examination that forced the University authorities to cancel the exam, another paper for the same course was found leaked on Thursday morning before the commencement of examination.
The leaked paper of Economics subject was Small Business Management, and the exam was scheduled to commence at 2 p.m. However, the question paper was in circulation among students through WhatsApp by 10 a.m. Lecturers of Government Degree College, Raichur, and some media representatives, who received the leaked question paper on their mobile phones immediately informed University authorities who in turn announced cancellation of the exam.
“We received the leaked question paper and found that it was the same paper that was meant for today’s exam. We immediately cancelled the exam. We have constituted a committee to probe the matter. After discussing with the Vice-Chancellor, we will think of lodging police complaints,” D.M. Madari, Registrar (Evaluation), told The Hindu on Thursday.
In June this year, a question paper meant for fourth paper of second semester of B.Ed – Pedagogical Tools, Techniques and Approaches — was leaked a day before the examination. Venkatesh Patel, a member of the Academic Council of the University, who received the paper on his mobile phone had brought the issue to the notice of University authorities as well as Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayaraddy well in advance. Yet, the examination was conducted. The authorities later lodged a complaint with Gulbarga Rural police.
S.S. Hullur, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Rural), accepted that no breakthrough was achieved in the investigation of B.Ed question paper leak even after three months. Yet, the University authorities went ahead with evaluation of the paper and announced results recently due to the “pressure from students”.
“We had to announce B.Ed results in the interest of the students even though the investigation was still underway,” Mr. Madari said.
‘Injustice’
“I had forwarded the leaked B.Ed question paper to the Registrar and the Higher Education Minister well in advance. The university preferred to ignore it, meting out injustice to genuine students. If the authorities and police had taken the matter seriously and nabbed the culprits, the recent B.Com question paper leaks would have been prevented,” Mr. Patel opined.
Many academic council members are unhappy with the way examinations are conducted in colleges under Gulbarga University. In order to curb malpractices, the University had constituted an Examination Reforms Committee about 18 months ago. The committee found rampant malpractices and violations of norms and guidelines in conducting examinations. It came up with a report within two months with recommendations to improve the situation. However, the entire report was put in cold storage.
“We found rampant examination malpractices in many colleges. Colleges, in connivance with University authorities, had rampantly violated norms and guidelines. It is the root of all problems. Our recommendations to curb malpractices and raise the standard of examinations was thrown into the dustbin. We have lost faith in the University. The State government should form a high-power committee to probe the examination malpractices in Gulbarga University,” Mr. Patel said.
