E-Paper
Students indulging in malpractice in MDU semester exams
Students appearing for postgraduate first semester exams and Pre-PhD course work exams through the online mode under Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University are taking advantage of technology for cheating and the invigilators are facing a tough time to cope with the situation
Students appearing for postgraduate first semester exams and Pre-PhD course work exams through the online mode under Rohtak’s Maharshi Dayanand University are taking advantage of technology for cheating and the invigilators are facing a tough time to cope with the situation.
Over 18,000 students are appearing in the exam and the exams for distance education students will start from July 3.
After downloading the question paper, students are to write answers in separate sheets, which are to be scanned and uploaded. In addition, students also have to send in the hard copies via post.
Three hours are provided to the students to write their answer script and one extra hour to upload it in a PDF format.
The answersheets are purchased by students themselves and they have to write their name and roll number on every page of the copy.
Flagging the issue, state president of JJP’s student wing India National Student Organisation, Pradeep Deshwal, alleged the MDU vice-chancellor Rajbir Singh’s “lackadaisical and incompetent nature is responsible for giving only online mode option to students”.
“The students had paid the exam, university and other fees but they are using their own sheets to write the answers in the exam and using their own mobile data. Then why is the varsity charging these expenses from students? The university wants to keep rural students away from education and has failed to keep a tab on students indulging in malpractice,” he added.
An MA (English) first semester student said he and his friends used to write answers of expected questions in advance in separate sheets and use the same after three hours.
“I had never indulged in such malpractice earlier but I had no option now as my friends are doing the same. If I do not follow them, they will score more marks and it will hurt my academic performance,” the student added.
Another student pursuing MA (mass communication) said many students write answers by taking help of notes and book as the screen of their phone is too small and the invigilators can only see the candidate’s face and not their activities.
“If the university wants to conduct online exams, the questions should be prepared of higher-order thinking and open books should be allowed. If this is done, those who have studied the syllabus can answer the questions,” she added.
Two invigilators, requesting anonymity, said it is difficult to keep tabs on students appearing for the exam from their homes.
“The moment students switch off their video, move away from the screen or try to minimise the screen, we ask them why they are doing so. But it is difficult to ascertain whether they had switched off video for cheating or if there was some technical glitch,” they said.
“After cheating issues raised by some students, the university has decided to provide both modes to students in the upcoming semester exams starting in the third week of July,” they added.
MDU controller of examination BS Sindhu said there can be some issues with the online mode but the exams are going on smoothly.
“We have asked the teachers not to ask direct questions so that students’ can’t attempt cheating. We have not received any complaint that students are indulging in malpractice during the exams. In the even semester, we will provide both online and offline options to students,” he added.
