Grade ‘A’ colleges likely to conduct their own exams

To curb malpractices during examinations, the state government has recommended decentralisation of examinations. Colleges and institutes with proven academic record and reputation of conducting examination should be allowed to conduct their own examinations for all years, according to the government.

The move follows the submission of a report by a committee set up to consider the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in conducting examinations.

The recommendations state that colleges that attain grade ‘A’ from National Assessment and Accreditation Council should be allowed to conduct examinations on their own. Universities should evolve proper supervisory capacity, including measures like third party audit, to ensure proper conduct of examinations by such colleges.

For other institutes, the university can conduct the final year examinations and may decentralise the examinations for pre-final years.

After a slew of malpractices were reported from various public universities in the state, the state government has woken up to make the use of ICT in examinations, bringing in reforms in the examination patterns.

Recently, the committee that consisted of controller of examination (COE) of all public universities submitted the report and recommended the use of technology to tackle malpractices and irregularities in the examinations.

An interesting recommendation is dematting of degrees and certificates. This would enable prospective employers to verify the authenticity of the degrees by logging on from any location.

The report focussed on the key factors that play an important role in the examinations. It also considered the case studies of universities that have already used ICT for making the examination foolproof. Regarding the challenges faced in distribution and delivery of question papers to the respective institutes, the question paper once randomly selected or generated from the bank is encrypted and transmitted over a secure channel to the examination centres just an hour before the examination.

At the examination centre it is decrypted with a password and printed. This will overcome the possibility of leakage of question papers during transport and printing. Machines used for question paper printing at examination hall are registered.

The committee recommended that each university should implement this system on pilot basis for exams conducted in the first half of 2013. Following this, by 2014, it should become a matter of practice