Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences plans AI technology to fight exam malpractices

The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has decided to introduce a first-of-its-kind Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to curb exam malpractices. 

At present, RGUHS web-streams its exams. This will be updated with AI and audio recording of the candidates in exam halls.

As explained by the officials of the university, AI is mainly to prevent impersonation. “This new technology will help us to identify if there is any impersonation going on by comparing the student’s image uploaded in the system and the one writing the exam. If the image is not matching, the university will get an alert,” the official said.

The official claimed that RGUHS was the first Indian university to introduce web-streaming of the exams to bring down malpractice rate. “In the existing system, only video streaming is happening. We’re adding audio as well,” the official said. 

With this technology upgrade, the university will also get an alert if any student is trying to communicate with people inside or outside the examination hall. CCTV cameras upgraded with audio recording will be installed for this purpose. It can be recalled that there were instances in the past where medical students were caught copying by stitching Bluetooth devices under the shirt collar.

This examination reform will be applicable to all affiliated colleges under RGUHS, including medical, dental and nursing. It will be implemented from the December 2023 exams. Every year, at least two lakh students appear for various examinations at
RGUHS.

Speaking to DH, RGUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr M K Ramesh said that though there is web-streaming going on, the system is unable to capture audio. “Students have become smarter. As there is no audio recording in the web-streaming we cannot catch if oral dictation is taking place. That’s why we are adding an audio component to the web-streaming,” he said.

Explaining the AI technology, Dr Ramesh said: “AI will help us to identify any repeated suspicious movements and reactions by the students. This will also assist in identifying impersonation. From now on even if the student has the admission ticket, their picture will be clicked while entering the exam hall and the same will be matched with the one uploaded already.”