EXAM FRAUDS (JAMMU AND KASHMIR )

Examination is the heart of education system. Malpractices, associated with exams, are as old as exams themselves.

The process of examination in States/UT has become a contemporary shame. Examination frauds are worse than corruption, and they are social threats.

They question the credentials of educational institutes and de-motivate innocent and sincere students. It provides a human resource that lacks ethics and morality. Hurried expansion of educational institutions across the country has resulted in deterioration of quality manpower on account of poor infrastructure, and the examination system adopted by these institutions.

                Decline in quality of education is evident from the fact that a sizeable segment of the student community seriously lack in skills- experimental skills, mathematical skills, analytical skills and problem solving skills.

               Education has become a mass phenomenon in India and has lost its class or quality. It is the outcome of examinations that decides the career path and future direction of students.             Students are involved because they want to achieve success without effort; parents are involved because they want good grades for their wards; teachers and others are involved because of the financial, material and other intangible gains derivable from involvement in examination malpractice. It takes three to tango.

 STATES /UT — the bastions of higher education and research – have turned learning grounds for cheaters and scam artists.

These are the current exam system pitfalls:

Inordinate delays

Question paper leakage  

Cheating

Frauds in evaluation

Markscard cheating

SOLUTION   Technology-based exam has been viewed as the solution and the way forward to achieve this transformation and overcoming of the road blocks to fairness of the examination processes. Examinations like IIM, CAT etc have successfully migrated to computer-based mode and this has instilled confidence on the traditional educationists. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has provided a very effective tool to curb educational malpractices and manage the entire examination process.

              Since the entire examination process is computer based, there is no human interference. Online examination system assures students 100% transparency and adds to credibility of educational institutions. Since results are generated through well-formulated software, there is no scope for manipulation. Most of the large, nation-wide entrance examinations have already migrated to the Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode. It’s a pointer towards its student friendliness.

              CBT is highly transparent and audit trails of every click on the system can be generated. A CBT does not require printing of papers and its storage and movement, but it has its pitfalls. There is no doubt that this is the ‘web moment’ for higher education and a battle is shaping up for growing student numbers on global courses online. Examination malpractice is a social evil that can damage society to the extent of possibly leading to a failed state.