PUNE: While the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) is currently conducting semester examinations in traditional, offline mode after a gap of two years, the varsity will be using a digital method to check the students’ answer sheets. Towards this, dedicated computers and automatic machines are being set up at the university campus. The digital system promises to check the students’ answer sheets within a few seconds.
As per information shared by the examination department of the SPPU, the computerised paper checking system has been developed by the university itself and will be deployed starting this semester. Initially, answer sheets of post-graduate courses will be checked followed by those of undergraduate and diploma courses. There are more than 1,000 colleges affiliated to the SPPU in Pune, Nashik and Ahmednagar districts, and more than 6 lakh students appear for the exams. Earlier, their answer sheets used to be checked manually by faculty members.
Mahesh Kakade, examination and evaluation department head, SPPU, said, “To check and evaluate the students’ answer sheets, we have decided to use computerised technology from this semester. According to the regular method, it takes around 40 to 45 days to declare the results by checking all the papers after the exams are completed. Once we start using this method and if both the evaluator and the system merge well, results can be declared within 10 to 15 days.”
Giving the details of how the system works, Kakade said, “In this digital evaluation system, the answer sheet is first scanned and converted into PDF format. The PDF is then given a sign number and 0it goes into the software which is developed by the SPPU. Then the pattern of the answer sheet, model answer sheets, marking system, and subjects of the course are given to the evaluator to carry out paper checking work. The evaluator has to login into the system, choose their subjects and give away the marks in the system itself. If any question is not checked and marks are not given, checking of the answer sheet will not be completed in the system.”
{{/usCountry}}Giving the details of how the system works, Kakade said, “In this digital evaluation system, the answer sheet is first scanned and converted into PDF format. The PDF is then given a sign number and 0it goes into the software which is developed by the SPPU. Then the pattern of the answer sheet, model answer sheets, marking system, and subjects of the course are given to the evaluator to carry out paper checking work. The evaluator has to login into the system, choose their subjects and give away the marks in the system itself. If any question is not checked and marks are not given, checking of the answer sheet will not be completed in the system.”
{{/usCountry}}For the semester examination, students are given a 24-page main answer sheet and supplements of four pages each.
These exams are being held in four sessions daily - 9 am to 11.30 am, 9 am to 12 noon, 2 pm to 4.30 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm. Around 6 lakh students are appearing for these examinations, which are being held in the traditional format as before the pandemic.