Engineering students to get easy marks

Engineering students are set to get easy marks because of a mistake by a paper setter. Kiran Wadhwa reports

Engineering students are set to get easy marks because of a mistake by a paper setter.

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On November 29, computer engineering students of the fifth semester of the advanced database management system found a large part of their paper set from the old syllabus.

After complaints, the University of Mumbai set up a committee to look for an assessment solution. Two days ago, the university sent out a circular with a new assessment pattern.

"Students were so distressed and now the university is giving out marks so freely. Even those who did not study for the paper will do well. The quality will suffer," said a principal of an engineering college.

The university committee has decided that 55 marks out of the 100 mark paper was out of syllabus. "The three-member expert committee made recommendations on how to assess the paper fairly. The new assessment pattern has been approved by the vice-chancellor and the paper setter has been given a show-cause notice," said Vilas Shinde, controller of examinations.

The circular issued to colleges stated that compulsory questions 1(a) and (b) were not from the syllabus. "It is therefore resolved to give extra 10 marks to all students for question (1)," the circular said.

The committee also said that questions listed (b) from 2 to 7 were not from the curriculum and has resolved that marks obtained by students in any of these four questions would be doubled and added to the total score.