Rampant 'mini photo copying' in OU

Osmania University has no system to check rampant copying taking place in Masters exams. Even students who were caught red-handed have been allowed to go with just a warning

Young Hans Team

Students appearing for ongoing semester exams at Osmania University Campus, conducted by Osmania University, Hyderabad, are resorting to rampant copying using various mechanisms. Officials in the campus have failed to prevent students from rampant cheating. Although security personnel stationed at the entrance of University College of Arts & Social Sciences are expected to check students and bar them from carrying chits, no such exercise is visible. Though cell phones are strictly prohibited in the exam hall, many students are merrily ferrying across their smartphones thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the security personnel.

Though Arts College officials are aware of rampant cheating in exam halls, there is no system in place to prevent students from resorting to it. It's an irony that despite being caught red-handed by Arts College principal, students have been let scot free without being punished. With students being directly or indirectly affiliated to the student organisations and political organisations, most of student's manage to scare away faculty members. "With no proper system in place to check malpractice and students being backed up by the political organisations, none of the officials have the guts to take on errant students", said a professor.

On an average, six out of 10 students indulge in malpractice in examination halls. It's not just the case with local students; foreign students also indulge in cheating. "While I was giving my first exam, a few students were caught copying but were left after a warning", said a student from Arts College. Washrooms in the college are flooded with mini photocopies (which can comprehensively reduce the content to half its size and still be readable).

"Many students who study here hail from rural background. Their prime focus is to secure government jobs. Most of the times they spend time preparing for the competitive exams, ignoring regular lessons forcing them to resort to copying to score pass marks. This has become routine for the students to indulge in cheating," said a Professor.

"For the last five years, it has become a routine for students in the arts college to carry photocopies to the exam halls. With exams on, most of the students in the campus throng to the nearby photocopying centre to get mini photocopies of their notes.

"Last year, two students were caught red-handed by the principal. He snatched away their answer sheets. When majority of the students in the exam hall backed the errant students which left the principal red-faced," said a student. The examinations will end on May 4 and students hope the authorities will do something concrete to check such cheating.