Law varsity bars religious markings on answer scripts

The Karnataka State Law University has prohibited students from putting religious markings on answer scripts.

Markings such as Swastik, Om, Sri, Sai Ram or special characters such as $, *, @, {, and }, on the answer scripts will attract punishment. Students, who leave the marks on the answer scripts either to seek divine grace, unintentionally, or to disclose their identity to evaluators, may be debarred.

Writing names of students, registration numbers in places other than the top of the front page, using sketch pens or coloured pens to underline answers or question numbers, requesting examiners to give more marks, writing examination in the same subject in both Kannada and English medium, changing the ink and unrelated writings  – all that may give clue to the examiner about the identity of the candidate have been prohibited.

The Registrar (Evaluation) of the university, in the circular, has clearly warned  the students that the minimum punishment, if found guilty, will be cancellation of the paper or the semester.

The circular, sent to the law colleges across the State, states that around 280 such cases were reported in the examination in June, 2011. The principals have been asked to implement the rules strictly and take signatures of students on the circular before issuing hall tickets prior to every examination.

The university Syndicate has  resolved to issue show cause notices to principals if they fail to properly discharge their duties in instructing students in this regard. The principals have been asked to take all necessary steps to inform the students about the new rules.

The senior examiner of the centre should visit each block in all sessions and announce the matter and randomly inspect the papers of students. They have also been asked to paste the circular at the entrance of all blocks during all examinations.

Markings on answer scripts has been viewed as another type of malpractice with the intention of revealing identity to the examiner and getting a favour from him.