An incident of mass copying during the postgraduate (PG) course examination of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru, held on April 22 at an examination centre in Bengaluru city has now come to light.
Students have alleged that arrangements were made for the examination in a separate room for a student, as well as for copying in the examination using ChatGPT technology.
The examination was held by the KSOU for various PG courses from April 16 to 22 across the State. “On the last day of the examination on April 22, at the examination centre of a private college in Laggere, Bengaluru, the invigilator in charge of the exam was not present in the examination hall,” the students alleged.
“The invigilator handed over the question papers and answer scripts at 9 a.m. and stepped out and only returned 10 minutes before the exam ended to collect the answer scripts. During this period, several students used their mobile phones, exchanged answer sheets between each other and were also openly discussing the answers,” students said.
The students also said, “We have noticed that one of the students had been given special treatment and was allowed to sit in a different room along with his mobile phone. There was no supervision during the course of exam. He claimed to be part of the flying squad and on election duty and he must use his mobile phone. Under this pretext, he generated answers from ChatGPT. We do not understand why he was the only student to be sitting alone in different room and a different floor,” they added.
The students also alleged that the student in question came late to the examination centre and was given extra time by the invigilators. “This type of favouritism is not acceptable and unfair to the rest of the students. We are raising this issue to seek justice,” they said.
Responding to the allegations, Sharanappa V. Halse, Vice-Chancellor, KSOU, Mysuru said, “I have already asked for the report from the Registrar of evaluation and the guilty should be punished. After I get the report, action will be initiated against whoever is involved in unethical practices during the examination, including invigilators and others,” he said.
