Shimoga, Dec 27, (DHNS): Re-examination will be conducted for the first and third semester English language paper of undergraduate courses in Kuvempu University as 20,000 answer scripts were damaged in the fire that broke out at an evaluation centre at the Kamala Nehru College in the city on Saturday. 

The re-examination would be conducted after the colleges reopen on January 8 after holidays, Kuvempu University Registrar Evaluation Prof Rame Gowda told Deccan Herald.

Prof Gowda said that 20,000 answer scripts of English language already evaluated were gutted in the fire. The answer scripts of Kannada, Urdu, Sanskrit and Economics deposited at the centre are intact. Even the un-evaluated English language answer scripts also are safe. Kuvempu University has the marks sheet of the answer scripts that were evaluated and damaged.

Students who were not satisfied with the marks awarded can opt to appear for re-exam as the damaged answer scripts can’t be reclaimed for re-evaluation. Even others whose answer scripts are intact can also re-appear for the exam to improve their score, the Registrar said.

Kuvempu University will conduct an inquiry into the incident. A meeting of Syndicate will be convened shortly to discuss the issue. The Registrar wrote to the Superintendent of Police on Sunday seeking round-the-clock police protection to evaluation centres where answer scripts are placed. He said that the financial cost of the re-examination was to be assessed.

Police suspect the role of some insiders in the incident. They feel Meanwhile, in his complaint lodged with police, Prof. Deshpande, Principal of Kamala Nehru College has stated that he suspected arson. A security guard was present at the premises when the fire broke out. Barring the teachers involved in evaluation work, staff members of evaluation cell and the college, others are not in the know about location in the evaluation centre where the answer scripts are cached. Persons who are very much part of examination exercise are involved in the misadventure, police have said.

Mired in Controversies

The track record of the University in managing the examination and evaluation process has not been admirable and the fire has once highlighted it.
In 2007-08, question papers of BSc and BCom exams had leaked forcing the university to postpone the exam. Role of staff of evaluation cell and those of reputed colleges in Sagar and Davangere was suspected in the incident. An inquiry panel was formed and a report was submitted but the guilty were spared. Incidents of mass copying were reported with regular frequency this year from examination centres in North Karnataka for distance education courses offered by Kuvempu University.