Thiruvananthapuram: APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University has the habit of messing up the conduct of exams. Last year, it had to postpone its first semester B Tech exams following opposition from students and teachers against the online delivery of question papers to the affiliated colleges over engaging a private agency to conduct online exams. Following the controversy, the first semester exams were held using printed question papers.
This year again it reintroduced the system wherein colleges downloaded the question paper from the website designed for the purpose and conduct the examinations using photostat copies.
With teachers and students opposing the move alleging that there were chances of malpractices, the executive committee meeting held on December 1 decided to postpone first and third Semester B Tech exams scheduled to begin on December 2.
Following this, education minister C. Raveendranath interfered and asked the university to conduct the examinations in a reliable and timely manner.
The university officials maintained that if the examinations were to be carried out using printed question papers the examinations would get delayed and can be conducted only after Christmas holidays. The officials also claimed that the software used for online transfer of question papers were foolproof. Following this, the minister who is also the pro-chancellor allowed the university to go for the online transfer of question papers. Following this, the university decided to conduct the first and third semester exams from December 13 to January 4 using the online transfer of question papers.
It informed through a notification that for easing the difficulties of students, there would be only one exam per day. Earlier the decision was to conduct two a day.
University also informed that extra precautions were taken to ensure that the papers are not leaked during the online transmission including the posting of observers to Engineering Colleges, recording of exams in camera and protecting the password through one-time password.
