Question paper row fails to die down in Thiruvalluvar University
Inquiry panel set up, says V-C; Tiruchy prof takes responsibility for mess
Thiruvallur University
VELLORE: In the wake of the controversy over the repeat of papers continuing to happen, the Thiruvalluvar University has formed an inquiry panel to probe the goof-up.
“We have set up a three-man inquiry committee to go into the issue of Mathematics-related subjects question papers being repeated,” Vice-Chancellor Arumugam told DT Next on Tuesday.
Speaking over the phone, he said that a professor attached to a government-aided college in Tiruchy involved in preparing question papers had admitted to setting similar question papers and took responsibility for the confusion.
“It has been decided not to involve the professor in question in the task of preparing question papers for the university,” the V-C said.
However, experienced professors sought to know how the V-C was issuing statements like this when it was the duty of the varsity syndicate to clear the air.
Former professor Kumar Subbu said, “It is highly doubtful how a professor attached to another university has taken responsibility for the confusion. Also, one professor can’t be tasked with setting question papers for four subjects.”
Sources also revealed that the scrutiny committee would only check to detect if any question was repeated or if there were spelling mistakes. They would be unable to find out whether a previous semester/year’s question paper itself has been repeated.
Arumugam told DT Next that the reports published in the media were one-sided and brought a bad name for the university.
When it was pointed out that whenever the exam controller gave his views that were also mentioned in the report along with pictures of the 2021 question papers which were repeated in 2023 and whenever there was no response from the controller to a phone call that was also carried in the reports. To this, however, there was no reply from the V-C.
The confusion came to light after students, who noticed the repetition in mathematics question papers, informed their teachers.
It now transpires that all four arrears exams which were held: Nov 16 – Mathematical Statistics, Nov 17 - Algebra, Nov 18 - Real Analysis II, and Nov 20 – Partial Differential Equations the question papers were the same as those issued for the April/May exams held earlier.
