B Com paper leaking case; Exam centre cancelled permanently

--Students need to take paper again on May 4

--Exams to be held at another centre from today

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The administration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Bamu) has cancelled an examination from Kannad tehsil after the B.Com final year paper was leaked.

It may be noted that a case question paper of B Com leaking at the Rashtriya College examination centre (Hatnur, Kannad) came to light.

Director of the Board of Examination and Evaluation Dr B N Dole said that Vice-Chancellor Dr Vijay Fulari ordered the immediate permanent cancellation of the centre and filing of a criminal case.

The university's summer examinations for BA, B Com and BSc courses have been underway since April 7.

The B Com- third year (Semester VI) Direct Taxes (Code: X3013) subject paper went viral on mobile phones in the city before the examination began on Saturday, April 11.

The leak was discovered outside the Marathwada Institute of Career and Research in the Khokadpura area, where the 80-mark paper had circulated among students in PDF format on social media.

The VC was out of town for a meeting. Though the paper had already begun, he promptly dispatched BoEE Director Dr Dole to the centre and constituted a committee comprising Dr Deepak Pachpatte and Dr Purushottam Deshmukh.

Using technical systems at the examination hall, the committee traced the leak to the Hatnur Rashtriya College Centre, where the paper was downloaded at 12.47 PM and virally shared by 12.53 PM.

The committee questioned the college's in-charge Principal Dr M S Waghmare, Centre Head R S Akolkar, and other staff and students between April 15–17. An inquiry was completed and submitted on Saturday, April 18.

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Case to be lodged against responsible

On the basis of the probe report, the Vice-Chancellor issued these orders:

--The Direct Taxes paper held on April 11 stands cancelled; 8,084 students across 144 centres in four districts were affected.

--The re-examination will be held on May 4.

--The Rashtriya College's examination centre is permanently cancelled.

--All students from this centre will continue their examination from April 21 onwards at Shivaji College and Sant Tukaram College, Kannad.

--The college principal must file an FIR against the suspected employee responsible for downloading the paper within 48 hours and submit a report to the university.

--External Senior Centre Head A Z Shaikh (Kohinoor College, Khuldabad), who was absent from the centre, has been ordered to submit an immediate explanation.

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Dr Dole further stated that the Vice-Chancellor is treating this matter with utmost seriousness, and any attempt to avoid action will invite even stricter measures.