RTMNU panel finds 71 students involved in mass copying

 

 

 

 

The Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) found 71 students involved in mass copying in the Winter examinations of 2022. According to DAC, further investigation of mass copying cases may reveal the involvement of the centre incharge and other officials. The DAC is constituted under Section 48(5) of Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, to take action in cases of use of unfair means taking place during examinations conducted by universities. The DAC, after a detailed inquity into all such cases at various examination centres, came up with this data. During Winter 2022 examinations, RTMNU received cases of use of unfair means being used in 301 examinations, of which the DAC cleared 131 cases.

 

Eighteen students were given benefit of doubt. DAC recommended that 79 students be debarred from the examination of one subject in which they were caught copying, while 34 students have been debarred from one complete examination. Explaining the system of taking action, Dr Praful Sable, Director of Board of Examinations and Evaluation said, “We gave benefit of doubt to 18 students because the cases were not proved. For example, we found mobile with some students, but those were switched off; in some cases, the students who had mobile phones, but their were not theirs. In such cases, we did not have any alternative than to give them the benefit of doubt. There were students who were punished only for one subject because they were found guilty of copying during the examination of one subject.

 

Then there were those who were debarred for one complete examination due to their constant involvement in the act of copying. We found that the percentage of boys using unfair means was over 60 per cent as against girls, who were less than 40 per cent.” There are 45 students who did not appear before DAC to present their side. They will be given one more chance and if they do not appear then their punishment would be fixed (Contd on page 2) according to the type of unfair means. At present the investigation is underway regarding 54 cases. Dr Sanjay Kavishwar, Dean of Commerce and Management too visited various examination centres and caught students doing unfair means. Dr Sable too personally visited more than 30 examination centres, collected objectionable material.