GU answer scripts ‘open’ to all

Answer books of lakhs of university students lie at the ‘no entry’ examination centre with virtually no security

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, July 17, 2013 

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20130717201307170212055749f4ccfe6/GU-answer-scripts-%E2%80%98open%E2%80%99-to-all.html
The centre was built at a cost of Rs 6 crore. Later the VC had the computer labs housed here shifted by spending Rs 31 lakh. (Right) Answer scripts stacked in the basement
Right to information allows a student to take a look at evaluated answer scripts. Gujarat University seems to have widened the scope of this right. One can have access to not just one’s own, but others’ too without much ado. For, the answer sheets of lakhs of students lie at the examination centre on the campus with virtually no security. With no fire safety measures or CCTV surveillance in the building, they are exposed to the threat of being tampered with or, in the worst case, even getting stolen and damaged.
This, despite the university building the centre at a cost of Rs 6 crore and spending Rs 31 lakh more on fortifying the “sensitive centre”. Every year nearly 3.5 lakh students appear for GU examinations. More than 10 lakh answer scripts of the students are stored in the basement of the examination centre that was set up in 2010. The then vice chancellor Parimal Trivedi created two computer labs on the first floor of building. However, his successor Adesh Pal got the labs shifted on the grounds that the building needed strict security as examination-related documents were to be stored there.

‘SECURING’ THE CENTRE
The university floated a tender and awarded to an outside agency the work of shifting the terminals to other places at a cost of Rs 31 lakh about two months back. While the building was then devoted to examination-related work, it never got the security that a “sensitive place” would require. Though easily inflammable answer scripts are stored in the building, it does not have a fire fighting system in place.
There is no CCTV camera, either, to keep a track of movement in the building. Its need becomes all the more important as the security personnel stationed at the centre are not alert at all. Said Syndicate member Satish Patel, “The university spends a lot of money in the name of examination, but the answer scripts kept at the centre are not safe. There is no security at the centre, even though the vice chancellor spends a huge amount on his own security.” Mirrorcorrespondent checked it for himself by approaching the building. The private security man neither checked with him the purpose of the visit nor stopped him from entering the building. The correspondent accessed the basement where the answer scripts were stored and also the place where some teachers were evaluating the papers.

NO LESSON LEARNT
Mirror had reported the indifference of the university in keeping the scripts safe on May 5, 2011. That time, too, it was obvious that anyone could flick, tear or even burn answer scripts. At that time the scripts used to be stored in different departments on the campus. This correspondent had managed to walk into the rooms where BCom and BA answer scripts were stored, without being questioned by anyone and clicked the photographs without anyone raising an eyebrow. The only learning the university has shown since then is that it has started keeping the scripts at a centralised location.

‘SURVEILLANCE ON ITS WAY’
When contacted, GU spokesman P P Prajapati said, “The computer labs were shifted to School of Social Science building as confidential work is done here. This building is a no-entry zone for visitors.” On the state of security at the building, Prof Prajapati said, “We are in the process of installing CCTV cameras not just in this building but also elsewhere on the campus.” He claimed that the building did have fire safety measures installed. However, Chief Fire Officer M F Dastoor at the municipal corporation said that the university has not even approached his department for any fire safety certificate.