The Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE), for the first time, has decided to dispatch question papers online for some of the II PU supplementary examination to two centres.
This was one of the recommendations made by a committee formed to look into examination reforms after the II PU paper leakages in 2016.
Confirming the move, C. Shikha, Director, Department of Pre-University Education (DPUE), said that no physical question paper would be transported to these centres.
“The papers will be sent through email to the Chief Superintendent of the examination centre. They will later have to make arrangements to get the papers printed,” said Ms. Shikha, adding that the paper would reach the centres about two-and-a-half hours before the exam.
“Normally, we begin the preparation for framing the paper months prior to the exam as it has to be printed. But such a system will help reduce the risk of leakage as it eliminates the need for physical papers,” an official in DPUE said.
The 2018 II PU supplementary examinations are scheduled between 29 June and 10 July.
As many as 2.5 lakh students have registered for it and there are 1,000 candidates registered in the two centres where the online papers will be dispatched.
The software, called electronic question paper transmission system, has been designed by NIC and was originally for higher education.
Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences have also been following the online delivery of question papers.
A.V. Chandrashekar, principal, PES PU College expressed concern with the online dispatch.
“Many colleges do not have the infrastructure to support this system. Moreover, sending question papers two-and-a-half hours prior to the exam will still not eliminate the risk of leakage,” he said.
In fact the VTU on Friday ordered an inquiry after its second semester mathematics backlog paper, conducted on Thursday, was ‘leaked’ about half-an-hour prior to the examination.
