20 MBBS, PG, dental, AYUSH students caught cheating in NTRUHS exams: Report

Vijayawada: In a concerning incident, around 20 students were caught cheating with unfair means, including chits, mobile phones and smartwatches, during the ongoing annual examinations conducted under Dr NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS) in Vijayawada.

Unlike earlier instances, this time the alleged malpractice was detected through the newly established ‘Integrated Command Control’ (ICC) centre. The ICC, launched in January, is meant to enhance transparency and utilise specialised cameras to monitor student movements across exam halls state-wide.

The system enables real-time monitoring of students through a network of surveillance cameras installed across affiliated colleges. The command centre is connected to around 540 cameras installed in 28 medical, nine dental and seven AYUSH colleges across the state.

Through the system, the officials caught 16 students using chits inside exam halls. Two students were found using mobile phones, while another two used smartwatches to cheat. The students belong to various streams, including MBBS, postgraduate courses, dental, and AYUSH programmes. 

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The examinations, which began in phases starting from April 2, cover undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses, along with dental and AYUSH programmes. So far, 14 male and six female students have been identified.

The students were caught red-handed when staff in Vijayawada spotted suspicious activity. Following this, they immediately alerted on-site university observers, who then conducted physical inspections.

As per The Hans India, Registrar Sai Sudheer clarified that a special committee will review the severity of these cases, with the potential for students to be debarred for up to two years.

TOI reported that the system also caught three students, two from homoeopathy and one from ayurveda, indulging in malpractice on Tuesday.

Apart from students, two invigilators were found to be violating norms by using mobile phones during examinations at private medical colleges. Following alerts from the control centre, their phones were seized, and disciplinary action was initiated. 

On this, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said, "Medical education is of utmost importance. Only transparent examinations ensure justice to meritorious students. There must be no compromise."

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