Gujarat: Question papers for BBA, BCom leaked, Saurashtra University postpones exam

The latest paper leak comes around a year after the question paper of economics for semester-III of BCom was allegedly leaked in December last year.

Nilesh Soni, the examination controller of the SU, told media persons that the Rajkot bureau office of Gujarat Samachar, a Gujarati daily, reported to the Bhaktinagar police station in the city that someone had dropped a photocopy of question paper for the semester-V examination for the subject of Direct Taxation for the BBA course in the letterbox at its office late on Wednesday night.

Soni said that around midnight, the police contacted officers of the SU to inform them about the leak. Meanwhile, another Gujarati newspaper Divya Bhaskar published a news report Thursday saying it “got question papers for the subject of Direct Taxes (new course) for semester-V examination for BBA course and Audit and Corporate Governance for semester-V examination of BCom course a day before the examination scheduled on October 13 but didn’t report the same to Saurashtra University with an objective to reform examination system”.

Soni said that between 3:30 am and 4:30 am on Thursday, the examination department of the SU contacted examination centres and informed them about the leak of the BBA question paper and directed them to return to the SU headquarters the parcels of question papers as they were.

In an official release, vice-chancellor Prof Girish Bhimani said the varsity supplied an alternative question paper for the BBA examination and therefore the examination for the Direct Taxes subject was conducted as per schedule on Thursday.

However, sources said that the varsity was not aware that the question paper for the BCom examination had also been leaked until newspapers started circulating in the morning and therefore, it had no time to send alternate question papers.

SU officers said that while the BBA examination was conducted with a new question paper, the BCom examination had to be cancelled and its new date would be announced later.

Around 4,000 students were to take the BBA examination and around 12,000 the BCom examination.

Prof Bhimani told mediapersons that 17 BBA colleges in Rajkot city returned the question papers by morning and they expect the same from from 20 other colleges located in five districts of Saurashtra. “The university will check them (parcels) and whoever is found guilty will be punished, be it the administrator of a college, principal, teacher or staff member. No one will be spared and strict action, including police action, will be taken” said the VC.

Incidentally, the SU question paper of economics subject for BCom semester-III examination was allegedly leaked from a college in Babra taluka of Amreli district last December. The police had booked six persons, including the then principal of the Babra college, for allegedly leaking the question paper.

The VC also said that instead of the present practice of sending parcels of hard copies of question papers to examination centres, the SU would only email soft copies of question papers to the principal of respective colleges with QR code hours before the scheduled start of examinations to curb the menace of papers getting leaked.

After the news of the question paper leak broke, volunteers of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students’ wing of the Congress, burned copies of the leaked question papers on the SU campus. AAP workers also submitted a memorandum to the SU VC demanding strict action against those involved in the paper leak.

Addressing a press conference, AAP’s co-incharge for Gujarat and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha attacked the ruling party. “The BJP is the party which has trampled youths and students of Gujarat under its corrupt politics,” said Chadha, adding, “Over the past six years, 12 important question papers got leaked, including that of talatis, constables, non-secretariat clerks etc… Today, the situation in Gujarat is such that question papers of not only competitive exams but also that of routine courses like BBA and BCom are getting leaked.

“I want to tell the people of Gujarat that the BJP has not leaked the paper but ruined the future of your children. You will have to answer by ruining the future of the BJP leaders when they take their five-yearly examination, the 2022 Assembly election in Gujarat,” Chadha said.