In the wake of a recent scandal involving missing answer sheets in its B.Sc Nursing program, Gujarat University has decided to take stringent measures to prevent any future academic scams. Going forward, only the faculty who are directly involved in conducting the examinations will be responsible for the verification of answer books and the oversight of the strong room where they are stored.
The controversy came to light when a complaint was filed with the police regarding the missing answer sheets. An investigation led by the student wing of the Congress, NSUI, revealed a complex scheme where answer sheets were marked distinctly by students and later manipulated. Students would assemble during the night to write the papers and then submit all the supplements to the evaluation department before they were officially numbered the next morning. It has been alleged that the perpetrators charged a fee of Rs 1.5 lakh per paper from the involved students.
Addressing the issue, Gujarat University Chancellor Nirja Gupta announced to the media that from now on, new security protocols will be put into place. "All the answer sheets are kept on the campus post-examination. Previously, their safekeeping was entrusted to various faculty and coordinators across different departments. But to circumvent any possibility of scams in the future, we are assigning this crucial responsibility solely to the faculty involved in conducting the respective examinations," said Gupta.
The latest decision is seen as a necessary step to ensure the integrity of the examination process within the university. This move aims to put an end to a string of controversies that have marred the reputation of one of Gujarat's leading educational institutions.
