Kochi: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) says that it does not directly involve any private agency in the conduct of its exams. This comes in contrast to the previous bid of Kerala Technological University (KTU) to involve Bangalore-based private agency MeritTrac in the conduct of its BTech first semester examination process saying that the same agency is involved in the process of conduct of the exams of CBSE.
A CBSE top official said that MeritTrac has no role in the conduct of its examination but is involved in some of the exam-related processes, refusing to divulge further details. He also said there are around 10 such firms involved in the processes.
KTU Vice-Chancellor Kuncheria P Isaac had said that in the mode proposed by KTU involving the private agency, the questions were to be set by the teachers and they were to do the valuation also.
The software is prepared by the private firm as well as storage and scanning of answer scripts. The Controller of Examination is in possession of the question papers and releases it half an hour before the exam.
The password to download the question paper is with the principal and observer and they need to seek the assistance of MeritTrac official at the exam centre only if they want.
However all the software including the web cam installed at the exam hall are controlled by the private agency, according to the original plan.
Following student protests, KTU abandoned the bid for complete online process of the BTech first semester exam. KTU Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr M Abdul Rahiman told DC on Tuesday that several universities including Visvesvaraya Technological University, Punjab Technological University, Pune University and Mumbai University had already adopted the system KTU plans to install.
