Calcutta University teachers alert VC about ‘mass copying’

The teachers’ association at Calcutta University has written to the vice-chancellor expressing “worries about many serious malpractices” in the conduct of the examinations of postgraduate courses at colleges.

The letter alleged “mass copying” during exams in science subjects that students had written at their respective colleges (home centres).

It said instances of mass copying came to their notice when the answer scripts were examined. “It was difficult to distinguish one answer script from another because the content was the same,” a teacher told Metro.

Sanatan Chattopadhyay, the secretary of the Calcutta University Teachers’ Association, who signed the letter, said the postgraduate students at colleges and the university were made to write their exams on the Rajabazar science college campus of CU in September last year to curb malpractices.

Many of the students who are studying for a master’s degree in science subjects at colleges failed the exams and had to write supplementary tests, he said.

Chattopadhyay said they had written to the VC earlier this month after some college principals met the registrar and demanded that the postgraduate students enrolled at colleges be allowed to write their exams at their home
centres.

They cited a November 2018 regulation, which said the institutions offering postgraduate courses could hold exams on their campuses.

“Last year, when the exams were held on the university campus, some principals cited the regulations adopted in 2018 and demanded that they be allowed to hold the exams on their campuses. We wrote the letter to alert
the VC, who took charge last year, about the malpractices so that the semester exams scheduled for March are not held at home centres,” said Chattopadhyay.

The letter, addressed to officiating VC Santa Datta, says: “This is to bring to
your notice that the conduct of the PG courses in the university affiliated colleges has
long been a matter of concern. Faculty members from different departments are voicing their worries about many serious malpractices that are leading to gross degradation of quality education”.

“In this context, we request you to call for a joint meeting of the faculty councils to discuss this academic issue urgently so that a decision may be arrived at before the examinations for the even-semester start.”

Officiating VC Datta said they are planning to change the university’s regulations so the exams are always held at common centres. This, she said, will help curb the malpractices.

“We have to hold meetings so that a decision can be taken. If the exams can be held in a large hall, where students from the university as well as colleges can write their papers, then I hope the problem can be addressed. I have received complaints from the university teachers and I think their complaints have merit,” Datta said.

Chattopadhyay, secretary of the CU Teachers’ Association, said: “In the joint meeting of the faculty councils, we want a discussion to be held on what should be done to curb the malpractices.”

A CU official said that over the past few years, the colleges with the required infrastructure were allowed to offer postgraduate courses with the aim to increase enrolment.

“Last year, when the college and the university students wrote their postgraduate papers on the campus of the Rajabazar science college, some of the principals referred to the regulations adopted in 2018. We are planning to convene a meeting of the respective forums to address the issue,” CU registrar Debasis Das said.