Palghar students allege cheating at two BCom exam centres, demand Mumbai University probe

Students taking the BCom (Bachelor of Commerce) examination at two Palghar centres affiliated to Mumbai University have alleged irregularities. They claim staff members at these centres were helping candidates enrolled at the same colleges to copy.

The allegations concern the Gokhale Education Society's Arts, Commerce and Science College in Jawhar and the Arts, Commerce and Science College of the Sanjeevan Gramin Vaidyakiya and Samajik Sahitya Pratishthan in Vikramgad. Both colleges are in Palghar. Students who came from outside these institutions to take the exams have questioned whether the examinations are being conducted fairly. They have demanded an inquiry from Mumbai University (MU).

The students also alleged that there were no CCTV cameras inside the exam halls. Pradeep Aghari, another candidate, said: "If the authorities are confident that everything is being done fairly, they should show the CCTV footage and dispel the doubts we have raised. There was no CCTV in any corner of any classroom. There must be transparency in the examination process."

The candidates also complained of a shortage of drinking water and poor condition of washrooms at both centres. They allege these arrangements were inadequate for students taking a university examination.

The students' difficulties did not end there. They claim the exam centres were changed at the last minute, forcing them to rush to find the new venues. According to the students, there were no proper signboards to guide them to their classrooms and they received very little help from staff. Udaya Gupta, who was taking the exam, said: "We had to find our classrooms ourselves. We were given no proper directions and there were no signboards. This caused confusion and some students reached the exam hall late."

Neel Chavan, one of those who complained, said the students had written several complaints. "We have written many complaints. It has been nearly 10 days since the latest complaint letter signed by many students, but there has been no reply and no action," he said.

On the students' concerns, a Mumbai University official said the institution would look into the matter immediately and act as per the rules.

The procedure laid down for exam centres includes arranging for question papers to be printed, checking appointment or assignment letters, submitting a sample answer book, and affixing barcode stickers after a software check. Centres must record the total number of question papers received as per the original timetable, and also the number of "No Candidate" (NC) entries against the student count. Issuing a circular for a mock drill before the examination is also part of the process.