No more extra sheets in university examinations

Mangalore, March 10: Mangalore University will issue only one answer book with a fixed number of pages during examinations for its postgraduate and undergraduate students from the next semester examinations commencing in May. The university will not provide additional answer sheets to students as has been the practice all along. The measure is aimed at curbing malpractice.

Vice-Chancellor T.C. Shivashankara Murthy told the Academic Council meeting on Wednesday that postgraduate students would be issued with a 44-page answer sheet set while undergraduate students would be given a set of 40 pages. Prof. Murthy said instructions would be given in question papers so that students would have to restrict their answers to it. Questions would be framed accordingly after consulting subject experts and subject associations. For example, for a particular question they would be asked to limit their answers, say, to one page or two pages. The Vice-Chancellor said issuing additional answer sheets gave scope for malpractice and hence the decision was taken.

Prof. Murthy told The Hindu said that at present the university issued a 36-page main answer book for postgraduate students and a 16-page main answer book for undergraduate students. Each of the additional answer sheets being given to them had four pages. However, the new rule would come into force from May onwards.

Malpractice

Regarding malpractice, the Vice-Chancellor said there occasions when it was reported that some students took additional answer sheets home. They would write answers for questions expected in the next examinations. If questions were as expected, they would then tag these answer scripts to the main answer book, he said.

Bar coding

Prof. Murthy said Mangalore University students were not allowed to write their registration numbers or names on main answer books or additional answer sheets. The main answer books contained serial numbers. Only this had to be recorded in the additional answer sheets. Each student had to paste only an encrypted bar coded sticker given to him or her, on the main answer book. The stickers contained the register numbers and names of students.

The stickers were removed from answer scripts before sending them for evaluation so that the identity of student was not revealed.

He said students were expected to write only the serial number of main answer sheet in the additional answer sheets.

But some students wrote their names and registration number on the additional answer sheets and revealed their identity.

P.S. Yadapadithayya, Registrar (Evaluation), said in such cases the university found it difficult to mask the registration number and name of students entered in each additional answer sheets, before sending them for evaluation. The proposed changes would end such practices, he said.