Ten colleges under scanner in BMS paper leak investigation

A university-appointed committee has shortlisted 10 colleges for further investigations into the leak of a final year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) exam paper and will begin by questioning two colleges on Thursday.

A university-appointed committee has shortlisted 10 colleges for further investigations into the leak of a final year Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS) exam paper and will begin by questioning two colleges on Thursday.

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Three of the colleges are from the city, one each from Vasai, Virar and Navi Mumbai and four from the Dombivli to Shahpur region.

The three-member committee, headed by ST Gadade, principal of CKT College in Panvel and comprising Dinesh Panjwani, principal, National College and Prakash Wani, former university controller of exams, was constituted to investigate the leak of the International Finance paper on the evening of the incident.

On April 25, hours before the exam was to begin, university officials found that the paper had leaked. The university then replaced the original paper set at all 58 centres and asked centres to return the original bundles, which they had been instructed not to open. “The colleges will be visited with an absolutely open mind,” said a university official. “We know that 10 bundles were opened. Whether they were opened because they did not receive the university notification in time or not, remains to be seen. We do not want to damage the reputation of any institution without finding out the facts.”

The committee will be questioning all college officials; from the principal and joint chief conductor of exams, to peons and university officials responsible for coordinating with the colleges. The committee is also probing the possibility of a leak having taken place at the university level. They will also be looking through answer sheets.

When a final year Bachelor of Commerce paper had leaked at BNN College in Bhiwandi last month, an enquiry committee had identified the leak because of the incorrect question paper code that students had written on their sheets.

This is the second time a BMS paper has leaked. Last November, a fifth semester paper had leaked, and the university then conducted a re-exam for students.