<p>The Visvesvaraya Technological University’s (VTU) move to conduct re-examination of first semester mathematics paper has roiled the students, since their schedule has been hit due to the decision. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The university ordered a re-examination following rumours that the question paper was leaked half-an-hour before the exam. The varsity, which has embraced the system of saving soft copies of the question paper until right before the exam, prints the paper at respective centres 30 minutes before the start of exam. <br /><br />As the re-exam will be conducted on January 23, the exams which were to conclude on Thursday has now been delayed by a week, abruptly cutting short the ten-day semester holidays. <br /><br />While one engineering student claimed she would be losing out on interning with a software firm due to change in exam schedule, outstation students rued their plans to visit home would have to wait until next semester, with another student stating an annual trip abroad with parents has been derailed resulting in loss of around Rs three lakh due to cancellations. <br /><br />Questioning the varsity’s logic of giving credence to rumours, the students wondered how a paper leak 30 minutes prior to the exam would benefit anyone, and slammed the varisty for its ‘hasty’ move which has inconvenienced hundreds of them. <br />Probe report<br /><br />Meanwhile, VTU Vice Chancellor Maheshappa said three-member teams, spread across three districts, will probe into the question paper leak rumour. “We don’t know whether the paper was leaked in more than one centre. We are probing into it and the report will be ready within two days,” he said.<br /><br />He said it was an unfortunate incident and students will have to appear for the exam again as the varsity cannot neglect the issue of question paper leak. <br /><br />Question paper printing<br /><br />A CD of questions stored in encrypted form and the key to access the coded paper is provided to the respective centres. A third party vendor is hired to operate and print the question papers about 25 minutes to 45 minutes ahead of the exam. <br /><br />The other people involved are the principal of the college, deputy chief (external) from other colleges nominated by VTU and deputy chief (internal) who is a professor or an assistant professor in the college. <br /><br />Each of these three people is given access to colour-coded keys which pops up as soon as the delivery window is opened. <br /><br />The third party vendor will collect these coded keys and types in the combination of the keys to access the question paper in the Question Paper Delivery System, which verifies the correctness of the keys. If it is correct, then the papers can be accessed and be printed. <br /><br />“Eliminate third party”<br /><br />Though the technology is foolproof, the third party vendor has scope for mischief and hence it is better if no outsider in involved in the process, said former VTU V-C Balaveera Reddy. The CD preparation could be avoided as there is a possibility of it being hacked. Also, at least five sets of papers have to be released for every exam. <br /><br />The university might as well provide the necessary hardware itself, instead of depending on vendors for printers and other hardware. The software could be developed by VTU staff too, Reddy added. <br /></p>
<p>The Visvesvaraya Technological University’s (VTU) move to conduct re-examination of first semester mathematics paper has roiled the students, since their schedule has been hit due to the decision. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The university ordered a re-examination following rumours that the question paper was leaked half-an-hour before the exam. The varsity, which has embraced the system of saving soft copies of the question paper until right before the exam, prints the paper at respective centres 30 minutes before the start of exam. <br /><br />As the re-exam will be conducted on January 23, the exams which were to conclude on Thursday has now been delayed by a week, abruptly cutting short the ten-day semester holidays. <br /><br />While one engineering student claimed she would be losing out on interning with a software firm due to change in exam schedule, outstation students rued their plans to visit home would have to wait until next semester, with another student stating an annual trip abroad with parents has been derailed resulting in loss of around Rs three lakh due to cancellations. <br /><br />Questioning the varsity’s logic of giving credence to rumours, the students wondered how a paper leak 30 minutes prior to the exam would benefit anyone, and slammed the varisty for its ‘hasty’ move which has inconvenienced hundreds of them. <br />Probe report<br /><br />Meanwhile, VTU Vice Chancellor Maheshappa said three-member teams, spread across three districts, will probe into the question paper leak rumour. “We don’t know whether the paper was leaked in more than one centre. We are probing into it and the report will be ready within two days,” he said.<br /><br />He said it was an unfortunate incident and students will have to appear for the exam again as the varsity cannot neglect the issue of question paper leak. <br /><br />Question paper printing<br /><br />A CD of questions stored in encrypted form and the key to access the coded paper is provided to the respective centres. A third party vendor is hired to operate and print the question papers about 25 minutes to 45 minutes ahead of the exam. <br /><br />The other people involved are the principal of the college, deputy chief (external) from other colleges nominated by VTU and deputy chief (internal) who is a professor or an assistant professor in the college. <br /><br />Each of these three people is given access to colour-coded keys which pops up as soon as the delivery window is opened. <br /><br />The third party vendor will collect these coded keys and types in the combination of the keys to access the question paper in the Question Paper Delivery System, which verifies the correctness of the keys. If it is correct, then the papers can be accessed and be printed. <br /><br />“Eliminate third party”<br /><br />Though the technology is foolproof, the third party vendor has scope for mischief and hence it is better if no outsider in involved in the process, said former VTU V-C Balaveera Reddy. The CD preparation could be avoided as there is a possibility of it being hacked. Also, at least five sets of papers have to be released for every exam. <br /><br />The university might as well provide the necessary hardware itself, instead of depending on vendors for printers and other hardware. The software could be developed by VTU staff too, Reddy added. <br /></p>
