Maintaining pace with the latest cheating techniques among students,the Panjab University (PU) is all set to introduce metal detectors in all of its examination centres from next month. The hand-held metal detectors will help in keeping tabs on students who sneak inside the examination centre by hiding mobiles and other devices in clothes. The university has placed an order for a total of 150 hand-held metal detectors to be used in nearly 100 examination centres across the state and in the city. Five detectors have already been procured by the university and are being used on a trial basis. The university officials admitted that over the past few years,use of mobile phones in examination centres had increased drastically. Controller of Examination Prof A K Bhandari said with technological advancements,students had adopted sophisticated ways to cheat in examinations. Using technology like mobile phones and Bluetooth devices has become a common practice during the examinations. The semester examinations are scheduled to begin from the middle of April in PU and its affiliated colleges. Around five PU-affiliated colleges in Narangwal and Khanna areas of Ludhiana district had taken their own initiative to check the use of unfair means,especially of mobile phones,using the hand-held metal detectors last year. The cases detected by the security devices in the colleges were of students trying to sneak mobile handsets into the examination halls by hiding them in their clothes. Seeing the effectiveness of the device during the examination in these colleges,PU decided to introduce the detectors in all colleges. This academic sessions budget has already been allocated. Soon we will be able to procure the devices, said Bhandari. The total cost involved in the purchase will be about Rs 3 lakh. In view of the technological advancements,the guidelines for punishment under unfair means cases has been revised by the university recently.
