Srinagar, May 12: Already facing complaints of large-scale discrepancies in the evaluation status of UG 3rd semester, Kashmir University (KU) is caught pants down in yet another controversy – the shocking incident of question paper leak.
The leakage of English question paper was first alleged by Syed Mujtaba, a UG 2nd semester student of Government Degree College (GDC) Kulgam.
According to Mujtaba, on May 08, he received a call from his friend who informed him that one of their scheduled question papers was leaked.
“My friend called me saying he has received a phone from some unknown person, who is selling our English paper for Rs 3,000. We agreed to pay the person Rs 2,500 rupees so that we could unearth the paper leak scam,” said Mujtaba.
“Immediately after receiving the question paper from my friend, I posted the same on our college Whatsapp group along with a message – ‘I have got access to our question paper 17 hours prior to the scheduled timing of examination and I am going to wait till tomorrow and if this question paper matches with the original one tomorrow (9th May) then I will register a complaint with the Controller Examination, KU”,” he said.
“On May 09, we were handed over exactly the same English question paper in the examination hall which was sold to us for 2,500 rupees,” he added.
Mujtaba further said that he had informed his Principal and Head of the Department (HoD) English about the paper leak beforehand.
“I am ready to cooperate with the police, if they want to investigate the case,” he says.
‘Kashmir Images’ contacted several other UG 2nd semester students of GDC Kulgam who also confirmed the leakage of the English question paper.
When contacted Principal GDC Kulgam seconded the claims of his students saying, “UG 2nd semester English question paper was leaked prior to the scheduled examination.”
A group of UG 6th semester students from Government College for Women, MA road Srinagar, who are alleging discrepancies in the evaluation status of their 3rd semester exams, said that erroneous evaluation process of their ‘Psychology’ and ‘Romantic Literature’ question paper had made them to accuse the KU examination system of being “flawed” but it has now been proved “tainted” as well by the paper leak episode.
Naved Bukhtiya, a student activist told ‘Kashmir Images’ that KU’s examination and evaluation process has for long been a mess. “The blunders committed by KU authorities are often brushed under the carpet due to lack of external accountability. Students in Kulgam district have made a startling revelation which if investigated may unfold into a huge scam concerning question paper leak, but it is unfortunate that the government did not bat an eyelid,” Bukhtiyar added.
Meanwhile, the UG 2nd semester students were left fuming on Saturday as KU authorities postponed their Environmental Science (EVS) paper at the eleventh hour.
“We are seeking clarification from KU authorities as to why our EVS paper was postponed just an hour ahead of exams,” a group of 2nd semester students told ‘Kashmir Images’.
‘Kashmir Images’ attempted to contact Controller Examination KU, Farooq Ahmad Mir, but he did not respond to repeated messages and phone calls made by this reporter; however, a senior KU official, who wished no to be identified, said that the varsity was apprehensive of another “paper leak”, which is why the EVS paper was postponed.
“The examination which was scheduled on 13th May has also been postponed,” he added.
Talking to ‘Kashmir Images’, HOD Geography at GDC Kulgam, Dr Abdul Bari Naik, said that the EVS paper was postponed by the KU authorities at the eleventh hour on Saturday — “the reason being that the said examination paper was available even at the photostat shops located outside of the college!”
Pertinently, Dr Naik had posted a video on his Facebook page wherein he, along with Syed Mujtaba, had alleged the leakage of English question paper.
Interestingly on 5th May, when the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) concluded its three-day visit to KU, varsity authorities were quoted by a local daily claiming that the NAAC team has lauded the varsity for “maintaining research standards and have appreciated the administration for its performance.”
To this a college principal, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The authorities at the helm of affairs of the KU administration had boasted about maintaining research standards but ended up compromising on secrecy of UG exam paper!”
