Bathinda varsity approaches vigilance after civil engineering paper leaked on WhatsApp

Vice-chancellor Mohan Paul Singh Ishar told HT on Thursday that the paper had been sent to students on WhatsApp by a person less than 30 minutes before the exam was to start

Bathinda Authorities at the Bathinda-based Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University (MRSPTU) have approached the state vigilance bureau for a probe after a group of engineering students were found in possession of a digital copy of the leaked question paper of Environment Science subject of the 5th semester of civil engineering on Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, university officials raided a room in boys’ hostel number 3 and detected the leak. Preliminary investigation has hinted at the role of non-teaching staff at a private engineering college at Lehragaga of Sangrur district.

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Vice-chancellor Mohan Paul Singh Ishar told HT on Thursday that the paper had been sent to students on WhatsApp by a person less than 30 minutes before the exam was to start. Though the examination was held as per schedule, the varsity has now decided on a retest of the subject.

“The university administration has constituted a panel to hold an in-house investigation to determine the role of seven students of MRSPTU on whose mobile phones the leaked paper was found. Parents of these students have been informed about the involvement of their wards in the case. Due action will be taken after investigation,” the V-C said, adding that college staff on examination duty at all 40 centres in the state had been instructed to deposit their mobile phone with the centre superintendent for further investigation. He added that the university was ready to investigate if anyone shared significant evidence of paper leak earlier also.

Controller of Examination (CoE) Karanvir Singh said, “The students caught during Wednesday’s raid claimed to have got the paper through senior students enrolled in the sixth semester on campus. All students are being questioned,” he said, adding that a new date of the exam would be announced soon.

Modus operandi

The V-C added that university delivers password of a digitally transmitted question paper about 40 minutes before the test. “The paper was leaked outside campus after the university dispatched the password,” he added, saying that questioning of the sixth semester engineering student named in the leak indicated that a college staffer could be behind it. “As per protocol, four persons at each examination centre are involved in taking printouts of the question paper. Those on exam duty are forbidden from keeping a mobile phone during this exercise. The leak shows that secrecy was compromised. We will strengthen the system after identifying the loophole,” the V-C added.