Paper Theft At Madhya Pradesh University Leads To Exam Cancellation, FIR Filed

Bhopal: The Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV), the lone state-run technical university in Madhya Pradesh, is embroiled in controversy after the fourth-semester Artificial Intelligence exam was cancelled minutes before it began due to missing question papers.

The incident triggered protests by students on the campus, prompting police to file an FIR following a complaint by the university administration.

On Friday morning, the fourth-semester examination for the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) course under the University Teaching Department (UTD) was scheduled to take place. But, when the students arrived to appear in the exam, they were informed that the paper had been cancelled.

The sudden cancellation of the exam, that too at the eleventh hour, triggered an uproar across the university campus. The students also learned that nine bundles of question papers were allegedly missing from a cupboard in the examination branch.

Following this, activists from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and angry students staged a protest and gathered at the vice-chancellor's office.

The initial probe by the police and forensic teams revealed that the thief had entered through a ventilation opening located approximately 5.25 feet above the ground without using any external aid.

“Once inside, the intruder picked up a key kept in a drawer and easily made off with the nine bundles of question papers without breaking the cupboard's lock,” police said.

The forensic experts collected fingerprints and scientific evidence from the scene for a detailed probe, with police suspecting the involvement of insiders in the incident.

Outraged by the incident, students marched to the building housing the School of Biomedical Technology and Biomechanics, chanting slogans against the examination process. The students alleged that their futures are repeatedly being jeopardised due to the irregularities and the flawed examination system prevailing at the university.

Protesting students staged a sit-in for nearly four hours outside the cabins of the Controller of Examinations and Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ashok Sharma, demanding immediate and stringent action regarding the examination scandal.

The students were also aggrieved by the fact that results for several other examinations had not yet been declared.

The vice-chancellor has expressed strong displeasure and raised questions regarding the entire examination system and security arrangements.

“A three-member committee has been constituted to conduct a fair and detailed investigation into the matter. Additionally, as part of administrative procedure, a show-cause notice has been issued to the controller of examinations, requiring an explanation within three days. A new date—August 8—has been set for the cancelled examination,” he said.

The vice-chancellor said that he reached the spot within 20-25 minutes and saw that a window had been broken and some material was lying there.

“One person accompanying me was about to step on the debris, but I stopped him because it was evidence. I asked officials to cordon off the area and immediately register an FIR. This is a criminal incident... This (paper theft) is the work of enemies of the university and Madhya Pradesh. They have not merely stolen question papers; they have hatched a planned conspiracy to destroy the system,” he said.

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