Indore: Thousands of students faced harrowing times this year too as technical glitches marred common entrance test (DAVV) conducted by Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) in online mode on Tuesday. While the entrance test began late at some centres due to problems in downloading the question papers and answer sheets, terminals had to be restarted many a time at few other centres due to technical snags.
At two centres, the situation had even arisen to cancel the exam but the university refrained from doing to save itself from embarrassment it faced last year. Last year, entrance exam was cancelled at a centre set up in Mathuradevi College due to technical glitches. The exam was re-conducted the following day.
“This year, the situation does not arise for cancelling exam at any of the centres,” said CET-2018 organising committee chairman Anil Kumar. He said that problems had occurred at centres set up in Chameli Devi Institute and SAGE University in the morning shift but they were solved.
At both the centres, technical glitches hit the exam forcing the university to give additional time to the students to complete their test. “The exam delayed by one hour at SAGE university and by two hours at Chameli Devi Institute,” said Namrata Sharma, member of a flying squad.
Over 90% students take exam colour
More than 90 percent students took CET-2018 held for admission in 48 courses offered by 13 teaching departments of the university. The exam was held in two shifts – morning shift from 10 am to 11.30 am and afternoon shift from 2 pm to 3.30 pm. “ 8217 students took exam in the morning shift and 7420 students in afternoon shift. The total number of students taking exam was more than 90 percent,” Kumar said.
ABVP activists stage demo
While the university admitted to problems only at two centres, students claimed that exam started late due to technical glitches at more than a dozen centres in the city. Students led by ABVP activists staged a demonstration at the vice-chancellor Dr Narendra Dhakad’s office alleging that the university failed to ensure hassle-free online exam and it should go back to pencil-paper format of the exam.
Dhakad did not buy their argument saying that such types of technical glitches occur in all types of online exams. The protestors also raised the issue of Anil Kumar being given chance to be chairman of the CET for the second time in row. After nearly one-and-a-half-hours of agitation, the protest ended after Dhakad announced plans to rope in School of Chemical Sciences head Ashok Sharma in the task of monitoring CET works.
Calculator allowed at 11th hour
Students also raised the issue of allowing calculators in morning shift of the exams at the 11th hour. During protest at the V-C office, the students said that an advisory issued by the university stated that the no gadgets would be allowed inside examination hall but at the last moment it changed the rule and allowed calculators inside the exam hall. The students claimed that not all students had taken calculators along with them at the exam centres so they remained at disadvantage.
Model answer keys released soon after exam
Model answer keys of CET-2018 were uploaded on the university website soon after the exam was held. “Before students could reach homes after writing the exams, we uploaded model answer keys on the unvieristy website,” said Kumar.
If any candidate is not satisfied with any of the answer, he/she may lodge a complaint in writing to the university. The candidate will have to submit Rs 500 for each objection. “If compliant was found true, money will be refunded,” Kumar said. Only candidates who took the test can challenge the model answers. All the complaints will be handled by expert committees. The last date for challenging the model answer keys is May 24 (up to 5 pm).