Recent copying cases have once again brought to light the need to tighten screws on examinees
Kerala University
Thiruvananthapuram: IG T J Jose’s alleged copycat act at St Paul’s College, Kalamassery, despite his protestations of innocence, has fuelled the debate on rampant examination malpractices in universities and whether as a way out students should be allowed to refer materials real-time at exam halls. Widespread malpractices had been reported especially from self-financing professional colleges across the state. This year, a two-member squad of Kerala University seized the answer scripts of 24 students in a surprise visit to a college of teacher education at Muthukulam.
The students ironically were writing M.Ed. examination. Had they passed the examination and the malpractice gone undetected, they would have been teachers and posted as invigilators to undertake the onerous task of checking malpractices. Even Governor P Sathasivam, the chancellor of universities, had intervened in the wake of reports of mass copying at self-financing colleges. The meeting of the chancellor's council directed universities to install Closed Circuit Television cameras at all examination halls of self-financing colleges immediately.
The meeting of the chancellor’s council, convened by the Governor on April 29 and attended by all vice-chancellors in the State, stressed the need for improving transparency in the conduct of examinations. All Kerala Private College Teachers Association (AKPCTA) general secretary K.L Vivekanandan told Deccan Chronicle that although the proposal for installing CCTV cameras at examination halls had been in discussion for many years, only Kerala University of Health Sciences had implemented it. The rest of the universities had been going slow, Mr Vivekanandan said.
Kerala University Controller of Examinations, Mr K Madhu Kumar, said discussions on installing CCTV cameras at examination halls “have been already initiated”. The view was echoed by Kannur University Registrar Balachandran Keezhoth, who said the university could not implement the decision all of a sudden. “We have to discuss it with all stakeholders”, Mr Kezhoth said.
However, the new Kerala Technological University (KTU) was going ahead with the proposal for installing CCTV cameras in affiliated colleges. Pro Vice Chancellor M Abdul Rahman said that KTU had decided to install CCTV cameras at exam halls and it was approved at a recent meeting of engineering college management representatives and the University officials.
Mahatma Gandhi University Vice Chancellor Babu Sebastian said the university had issued orders to all affiliated self-financing colleges to install CCTV system with recording facility. The university had said only CCTV cameras, designed by the public sector KELTRON, should be installed so as to cover all students in the hall. College principals had been asked to store visuals from examination halls on an external hard disc for future verifiction, said Mr Sebastian.
The University directive was to use dedicated hard discs with 500 GB to one terabyte capacity for storing visuals. Principals can simultaneously watch visuals from examination halls, Mr Sebastian said. Sources said Cochin University of Science and Technology would install CCTV cameras at its School of Engineering, Thrikkakara, and Cochin University College of Engineering, Pulinkunnu, Kuttanad (Cucek) in the first phase. The footage would be reviewed by officials to verify whether students had resorted to copying, sources said.
Sources said other universities, including Calicut University, have also directed affiliated colleges on a time-bound installation of CCTVs. Kerala Public Service Commission has introduced online tests for selected examinations to curb malpractices. As many as 240 candidates can take the test at the first online examination centre of the PSC at its headquarters in Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram. Surveillance cameras have also been installed at the centre, sources said.
( Source : dc )
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