Bamu probe indicts Kannad college employee for BCom question paper leak

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An official inquiry by the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) into the leak and circulation of a B.Com examination question paper has identified a college in Kannad taluka, of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, as the epicentre of the malpractice, the university authorities said.The inquiry found that Rashtriya College at Hatnur, Kannad, was the source of the leak, with a staff member, who was the custodian of the question papers, accused of circulating it. An external examination supervisor appointed by Bamu for the centre was absent on the day of the examination. As a result, a show-cause notice has been issued to him.Acting on the findings, Bamu has ordered the immediate and permanent derecognition of the examination centre and directed the college management to initiate criminal proceedings in the case. The university has also cancelled the third-year B.Com examination of the subject ‘Direct Taxation' and announced a re-examination on May 4.As many as 8,084 students had appeared for the examination across 144 centres in four districts under Bamu's jurisdiction.B N Dole, the director of the examination and evaluation board, said a special committee conducted an inquiry between April 15 and 17, during which the acting principal, centre superintendent, faculty members and students were questioned. "The committee submitted a detailed report, which was examined by another committee. Based on both reports, action has been taken," he said.The paper leak occurred on April 11, when a soft copy of the question paper was found circulating on the cellphones of a group of students even before the examination began. The malpractice came to light after authorities at the Marathwada Institute of Career and Research, in the Khokadpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, flagged the issue.Meanwhile, the university's decision to direct the errant college to file a criminal case has drawn criticism. A college principal, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Bamu should have lodged an FIR. "It is shocking that the responsibility of filing a criminal complaint has been passed on to the college, when the scope of the leak was not restricted to a single institution," he said.Bamu Vice-Chancellor Dr Vijay Phulari could not be reached for comment till Tuesday evening.