Amnesia hits a Bihar university as it learns on exam day that question papers are not printed

By Anand ST Das   |  Express News Service  |   Published: 13th April 2017 10:30 PM  |  

Last Updated: 13th April 2017 10:30 PM 

For representational purpose (File | PTI)

PATNA: A month after announcing the schedule for the second semester postgraduate Hindi examination, a university in Bihar forgot to print question papers for the fourth and final paper, thus depriving 94 students of the opportunity to write the examinations on Thursday.

Minutes after the 94 MA (Hindi) students of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU) in Bhagalpur assembled in the examination hall to take the examination, the varsity authorities awoke to the fact that there were no question papers. When the students were informed of the “crisis,” they created a minor ruckus before leaving the three examination halls, said sources. The students had, however, successfully appeared in examinations for the three previous papers of Hindi.

Worse, sources in the office e of TMBU’s controller of examination said the final paper’s question papers were not even sent to the printing press. “It seems the questions framed by the panel were not received by the controller of examination, and the matter was simply out of the mind of the controller of examination,” said an official requesting anonymity.  

“This was a serious issue. After learning of the matter, I have served show-cause notices to the in-charge of the PG Hindi department and the section officer at the controller of examination office. They have been told to respond by Friday. Suitable action would follow after receiving their explanations,” said TMBU vice-chancellor Nalini Kant Jha.

The confusion created at the varsity with the introduction of the choice based credit system (CBCS) is believed to be the reason for the goof-up. “CBCS allowed students the option to choose any subject for the fourth paper. The Hindi HoD said he was not aware of the subjects the students had chosen as the fourth paper,” said Ashok Thakur, the public relations officer (PRO) of TMBU.
The VC said the examination for the PG Hindi final paper would now be held on April 22.