PU exam: Online delivery of question papers ruled out

Even two years after the successful experiment to deliver online question papers for second-year pre-university examinations, the government has ruled out adopting the system for March 2020 exams.

The Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar chaired a meeting with the previous directors/commissioners of department of pre-university education here on Friday about conducting “leak-proof” examinations. Only two former directors, C Shikha and Dr Ramegowda were present in the meeting and other IAS officers who handled the PUE department in the recent past including P C Jaffer, Pallavi Akurati and Rashmi M did not turn up.

According to the sources present in the meeting, though online question paper delivery system was discussed in the meeting and suggested by one of the previous directors, it was ruled out due to lack of time for preparation for March 2020 examinations.

“As the timetable for March 2020 examinations has already been issued, several officials opined that they cannot take up online question paper delivery system this time,” said a source.

It can be recalled that when C Shikha was the director of PUE department when online question paper delivery system was introduced on a pilot basis during 2018 supplementary examinations. This online question paper delivery system was recommended by the committee constituted in the aftermath of a series of question paper leak during March 2016 examinations.

This pilot was successful and it was decided to implement the system at 1,000 centres for March 2019 exams. But it did not happen. According to department officials, the online delivery system requires a continuous power supply, 100% power backup, internet connectivity and photocopy machine - which cannot be provided in a hurry.

However, the system is in practice for several years in Visvesvaraya Technological University and Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences.

During the trial run in 2018, according to the information available, the department uploaded the question paper by 9.30 am. The supervisor of the examination centre downloaded it, and photocopied them - according to the numbers required. The photocopied question papers were packed and sealed at one particular room of the centre and later sent to each classroom where exams were held.