E-Paper
UP govt tightens norms to check copying in state varsity exams
Asks government-aided and self-financed degree colleges to install CCTV cameras, voice recorders
The state government has made installation of CCTV cameras and digital voice recorders in halls, classrooms and main entrance of government-aided and self-financed degree colleges mandatory for holding state universities’ examinations.
According to officials familiar with the development, the government has issued guidelines to universities and others authorities concerned to hold copying-free and peaceful examinations of state universities by ensuring that only those government-aided and self-financed degree colleges were made examination centres which have installed CCTV cameras and digital voice recorders.
Though CCTV cameras and voice recorders have been made mandatory for government-aided and self-financed degree colleges, the guidelines also asked other state universities and degree colleges to make efforts to make similar arrangements at their respective institutions.
The provision has already been introduced by UP Board for its annual examinations.
The officer said instructions had been issued by additional chief secretary (higher education) Anita Bhatnagar on November 15 to registrars of state universities with copies to all divisional commissioners, district magistrates, director (higher education) and principals of all government, government-aided and self-financed degree colleges.
He said the initiative was a part of the Yogi Adityanath government’s efforts to check frequent complaints and allegations of anomalies.
According to the directives, if a degree college has the house of its manager or principal on its campus, it would not be made a centre for university examinations.
Likewise, those colleges where disputes exist in the management committee would also be excluded from the list of examination centres.
“The guidelines also prevent universities from making those colleges as examination centres where a re-examination had to be conducted on the recommendations of officials concerned following mass copying or if it had been debarred by the administration or the university in the past,” the officer said.
He said colleges where confidentiality of question papers was compromised or which had been debarred for these reasons would not be made centres for at least three years from the year of the incident.
The guidelines also lists facilities that colleges need to possess for selection as an examination centre and for conducting examinations in a fair and efficient manner.
PROVISIONS FOR GIRL STUDENTS
The 43-point guidelines instruct state universities to strive to allot students a college close to their own institution as an examination centre instead of making their own college the examination centre (self-centre).
According to the guidelines, the self-centre policy should continue for female candidates but external centre in-charge should be appointed and it should be ensured that at least half of the staff appointed for conducting the examination is from other degree colleges.
For female candidates of rural and urban areas, in case a ‘self-centre’ or college close to their own institution cannot be made an examination centre, the examinations should be held at an institution located within 5 km of their college.
This facility will also be extended to institutional girl students studying in co-educational colleges and it would be ensured that the students of same college were not allotted separate centres under any circumstances.
