*A final year arts student of Bhagavan Buddha First Grade College, Bangalore appearing for the June 2007 exam, was caught red-handed while receiving the answers through his cell phone in the examination hall.

*A second year student of Sri T V Venkatswamy Arts, Science and Commerce college, Madhugiri was caught as the handwriting in additional answer sheets, which he attached to the main answer script, did not tally. He was appearing for the April 2005 exam.

*A third year BA student of Government First Grade College, Bangarpet, while writing the exam in June 2007, was caught for copying the answers from a newspaper! He had apparently scribbled some points in the newspaper.

All these students and more, are now debarred from appearing for their next exams. The Bangalore University Syndicate has debarred 165 students for copying in exams in the last three years. The decision to debar the students were taken at the recent syndicate meeting as suggested by the Malpractice Enquiry Committee.

Cell phone

The student, whose main answer script differed from additional answer script, has been debarred for three years. What surprised the BU authorities was the allowance of cell phone inside the examination center in spite of the ban.

“It cannot happen without the invigilators allowing it. The cell phone and answer scripts were seized and the invigilator was questioned,” the BU sources said.

The 165 students caught indulging in malpractices are from arts and commerce streams. These students are doing their Post Graduate and Under Graduate courses in government and private colleges located in various parts of the state. While majority are doing their regular course, a few of them are studying through correspondence.

Copying

The malpractices were reported from various places - Bangarpet, Tumkur, Kolar, Malur, Doddaballapur, Kanakapura, Channapatna, Gouribidanur, Devanahalli, Magadi, Ramanagara, Madhugiri, Chintamani and Chikballapur.

The committee headed by a syndicate member includes legal advisor and deputy registrar concerned.  They issued notices to these students after they were alleged to have been indulging in malpractices.

The students appeared before the committee for the enquiry in August. The charges were levelled against the guilty and were debarred.

Punishment

The students, who failed to turn up for the enquiry, were handed down punishment ex parte and charges levelled against them were handed over to them through the colleges concerned.

A total of 117 art students indulged in malpractices. Of these, 38 students were handed down punishment ex parte. And, in commerce, 33 students were found guilty and 15 cases were decided ex parte.

In all, 165 students were debarred in that particular semester. In some cases, students were debarred from the next semester also. In a couple of cases, the committee exonerated and recommended the valuation of answer scripts.