BENGALURU: Anxious Mass Communication students of Bangalore University appearing for the third semester post-graduate exams were made to wait for more than 45 minutes in the exam hall on Monday as the invigilators scrambled to find the question papers which went missing. The papers are yet to be traced and the students were given an alternative set to complete their exams.Scheduled to begin at 11am, students grew worried as question papers had not been distributed 15 minutes into the scheduled time. On enquiring, they were told that the papers were missing.
“When we did not get the question papers till 11.15 am, we got worried. The room supervisor told us that the papers were missing, and the authorities were bringing another set,” said a student. According to sources at the university, one of the Group D employees who was assigned to bring the question papers from the Jnana Bharathi library to the Communication department, somehow misplaced the bundle and forgot where had she kept them.
“Authorities realised this around 11.10am when they did not get the bundle. The employee who was entrusted with the job of bringing papers was unable to recall where had she kept them. Finally, the Registrar Evaluation and Registrar Administration intervened,” a source said.With the help of another worker at Jnana Bharathi campus head office, the authorities managed to open the alternative question paper bundle, scan the copy, take photocopies of the paper and distribute them.
“Students started writing the test at 11:45 am. They were given extra time to finish their paper,” said a faculty member.The original set of papers had not yet been located by Monday night. The Registrar Evaluation could not be reached despite several attempts.Many students suspect paper leak. “Students were writing the test for the same subject at few other colleges as well. When the paper went missing, why did the authorities not stop the exams at other centres?,” questioned one of the students.