PU department keeps treasuries on radar to check question paper leak

With exams around the corner, the Pre-University Education (PUE) department is going all out to check malpractices.

Following back-to-back leak of question papers during the preparatory examination recently, the department has decided to use a mobile app to monitor treasuries where the question papers are kept. To enable surveillance, CCTVs at all the 250 treasuries across the state will live-stream the movement of officials to the mobile phone of the director.

The videos captured through CCTVs will be saved through a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) which will be connected with a broadband network for live-streaming. A dedicated app has been developed to watch the DVR live through the director’s mobile phone using a password and username. Interestingly, the live-streaming of treasuries can only be accessed from the director’s phone.

The department had installed CCTVs in all treasuries two years ago as part of the Secured Examination System. Going a step ahead, the department is, for the first time, implementing live monitoring of activities inside treasuries during the exam season.

Besides, a 24X7 monitoring system has also been set up at a centralised control room at the department headquarters in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. Steps have been taken to launch control rooms in every district at respective DC offices.

Confirming this, a top official of the PU department said, “There was a series of question paper leaks during 2016 March/April, and it was suspected that it happened in one of the district treasuries. Strengthening of treasuries was one of the recommendations by the Home department under the Secured Examination System.” The official added that the director, based on the activity noticed during live-steaming, can alert district commissioners in case of any suspicious activities.