LU tightens exam monitoring with faculty-led flying squads
Vice-chancellor Prof JP Saini said each flying squad now comprises one professor, one associate professor and one assistant professor drawn from different departments. “Faculty members are informed only the previous evening to report to the proctor office early next morning, where they are randomly assigned centres. This ensures unpredictability and builds a sense of responsibility and belongingness among teachers,” he said.
To bring greater transparency and accountability to semester examinations, the Lucknow University administration has expanded the role of flying squads by involving faculty members from across all departments, replacing the earlier system where surprise checks were largely carried out by members of the proctorial board and teachers from affiliated degree colleges.

Vice-chancellor Prof JP Saini said each flying squad now comprises one professor, one associate professor and one assistant professor drawn from different departments. “Faculty members are informed only the previous evening to report to the proctor office early next morning, where they are randomly assigned centres. This ensures unpredictability and builds a sense of responsibility and belongingness among teachers,” he said.
The university is currently conducting semester examinations at 290 centres, with around eight flying squads comprising 24 faculty members deployed daily on a random basis. “The flying squads are sent on a random basis and due to the involvement of only faculty members of the university, transparency is more evident in the semester exams,” Saini added.
The administration has also tightened leave rules during the examination period. Faculty members seeking leave must now obtain approval directly from the vice-chancellor’s office to ensure no one skips flying squad duty and that all teachers participate in the monitoring process.
The move marks a shift from a select-group vigilance model to one involving the wider academic community. By involving professors across ranks and departments, the university aims to curb malpractices and ensure standardised monitoring at all 290 centres. The vice-chancellor said that the randomised, cross-departmental composition of squads would deter unfair means and lead to better examination monitoring.
ABOUT THE AUTHORGodhooli SharmaGodhooli Sharma is working as Senior Content Creator and is based in Lucknow. She majorly covers Education and Science beats alongside cultural and human-interest stories. If not in office, she can be found wandering in quest of news stories - driving from one end of the city to another until dusk just to file the stories in time. She has over four years of experience in the field of journalism and was previously with The Times of India. A fast learner, hard worker and multitasker who rises up with the zeal to get on a whole new expedition of learning. She goes by believing that coming into this profession was by her choice and not by chance - generally considered the other way around for journalists. Outside of journalism, she is engaged in creative pursuits, including photography, painting, bird-watching and travel. Being a creative person inside out, she believes in pulling out some soft stories that can bring cheer to society. Her reporting frequently features stories on scientific innovations, academic issues across Lucknow University and local schools, student achievements under adverse circumstances, and local cultural affairs like the city's theatre scene. Born and raised in Indore, she completed his intermediate and later her higher education from Isabella Thoburn College and Lucknow University respectively.Read More

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