ChatGPT, chits, and cash bribes: Why a Gujarat university is refusing to punish 400 medical students caught cheating
The students caught cheating in Veer Narmad South Gujarat University’s medical exams will appear before a five-member inquiry committee and receive counselling.
Of the hundreds of students caught cheating in the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University's medical exams, 11 were caught using calculators and electronic devices, and six used ChatGPT to generate answers. (Image generated using AI)
In a break from convention, a Gujarat university has decided not to punish the 400-odd students caught cheating in its March medical exams. Instead, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) will present the students before a malpractices inquiry committee, and send them for counselling after understanding why they cheated, in-charge registrar and exam controller A V Dhaduk told The Indian Express.
The exams witnessed several instances of cheating, including slipping currency notes into answer sheets requesting to be “passed”, sneaking in mobile phones to use ChatGPT and solve the paper, scribbling notes on the body, handkerchiefs, benches, etc.
The 400 students caught cheating this year are from the postgraduate, undergraduate, and medical and paramedical courses. Of these, 226 were asked to remain present before the committee, and among these, 14 students were identified to be sent for counselling. The Surat-based VNSGU termed this process ‘Education With Understanding’.
The five-member committee—it comprises a member of the board management committee, executive council member, dean, a senior advocate of the Gujarat High Court, and the examination controller of VNSGU—held hearings on Monday and Tuesday and 153 students appeared before it.
Sources told The Indian Express that 94 students were caught using chits to cheat, while 45 were found in possession of chits. While 21 students were caught copying from notes on rulers, erasers, and hall tickets, 17 had answers written on their arms and legs, and 15 used handkerchiefs, clothes, and benches to scribble answers. Eleven students were caught using calculators and electronic devices, six students used ChatGPT to generate answers, and three slipped currency notes into their answer sheets, requesting that examiners “pass” them.
In 2024, at least 130 students had been caught cheating at the same university. A student who had slipped in a Rs 500 note was slapped with a Rs 2,500 penalty and barred from taking exams for six months.
“We called students to listen to them and ask why they did such a thing. Students confessed before us. We have also advised 14 students caught cheating to undergo psychiatric counselling. Last year, over 600 students were caught cheating, and this year the number has gone down to around 400,” Dhaduk said.
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“The next session of hearings will be conducted next week, when the remaining students will be called and heard. The colleges give us lists of students caught cheating in the university exams, and on that basis, we call them. We listen to each student personally, so that their identity remains hidden,” he added.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
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Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
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Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
