Exam hall chaos: MBBS paper hit by cheating allegations, university mulls cancellation

Patna: A cheating allegation surfaced during a third-semester professional MBBS examination held under Aryabhatta Knowledge University, where several students were found in possession of unauthorised materials.

The exam was being conducted at Patna Science College for candidates from Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and Pavapuri Medical College.

Following this, the examination was disrupted on Thursday due to alleged malpractice and disorder inside the hall, prompting the university to consider cancelling the paper.

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

As per a Patna Press media report, when the invigilators found out about the alleged malpractice during the examination, they tried to stop it. However, the situation escalated into a commotion. 

Officials at the centre said, "The atmosphere became increasingly difficult to manage, prompting them to contact the AKU Controller of Examinations at around 11 am, informing the university that they were unable to continue conducting the examination under the prevailing conditions."

Due to this, the observers and invigilators reportedly left the centre amid the disruption. However, despite the lack of supervision, the examination continued till its scheduled end at 4 pm.

Apart from this, the college administration has further alleged that vandalism took place within the examination hall during the incident. Officials described the conduct of some examinees as “unruly” and said they had forwarded a detailed report of the episode to the university for further action.

Confirming this, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sharad Yadav said, "We have received the report. A decision regarding the future of the examination paper would be taken by the university’s examination board committee after reviewing the findings."

Now, the students are awaiting the final decision on whether their paper will be evaluated or cancelled. 

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that 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.

Also read- AIIMS New Delhi cancels MBBS exam after students allegedly use hidden phone, AI to cheat