NEW DELHI: Delhi University's open book examinations (OBE), which started on Monday, remained glitch-prone even on Friday when final-year students of BA (H) political science got a mock test paper of modern political philosophy for the actual test. DU took 40 minutes to upload a fresh paper by when many students had started answering the old one.
Around 11am, Hindu College student Akshat Jethliya got a mail with the mock test paper from DU. He found the same paper on the portal too. "Our nodal officer told us he was looking into the matter. Around 11.40am, I found a new question paper on the portal. But many students didn't check the portal and attempted the mock paper," Jethliya said.
"We got the same question paper during Phase II of the mock tests on August 3," said Mudita Singh Kushwaha of IP College. She and her classmates thought it to be a glitch and checked the DU portal. "But on finding that the portal also had the same paper, I had no option but to attempt the mock paper," Kushwaha said.
Only around 2pm, she checked her college WhatsApp group and got to know that a new paper had come. "At that point I had to redo my answers and align them with new questions," she added.
Many students never got any message about the updated question paper and attempted only the mock paper, she claimed. "It is not possible to refresh the portal again and again during a time-bound exam. A friend has submitted the answers of the old paper as she did not have a stable internet connection to constantly check her WhatsApp. During the exams, students are anyway expected to turn off their phones," Kushwaha pointed out.
A student from Kerala alleged that he never saw the messages on the WhatsApp group of his college. "I continued to write my exam. Now I am worried that they will fail me."
While DU exam department dean Vinay Gupta claimed in a text message to TOI that "the question paper was immediately rectified and we informed all concerned", many stakeholders are saying that the students who had solved the old paper should get a respite.
KK Koul, the nodal officer of Hindu College, stated that many students didn't check their phones during the examination and answered the old paper. "The university should think about it and help these students; they cannot be penalised," Koul said.
Echoing him, Reetu Sharma, nodal officer of Ramjas College, said the mock test paper had caused loss of time and confusion and students must be compensated for it.
Despite repeated attempts, exam dean Gupta did not respond to TOI's query on any respite for students.
Around 11am, Hindu College student Akshat Jethliya got a mail with the mock test paper from DU. He found the same paper on the portal too. "Our nodal officer told us he was looking into the matter. Around 11.40am, I found a new question paper on the portal. But many students didn't check the portal and attempted the mock paper," Jethliya said.
"We got the same question paper during Phase II of the mock tests on August 3," said Mudita Singh Kushwaha of IP College. She and her classmates thought it to be a glitch and checked the DU portal. "But on finding that the portal also had the same paper, I had no option but to attempt the mock paper," Kushwaha said.
Only around 2pm, she checked her college WhatsApp group and got to know that a new paper had come. "At that point I had to redo my answers and align them with new questions," she added.
Many students never got any message about the updated question paper and attempted only the mock paper, she claimed. "It is not possible to refresh the portal again and again during a time-bound exam. A friend has submitted the answers of the old paper as she did not have a stable internet connection to constantly check her WhatsApp. During the exams, students are anyway expected to turn off their phones," Kushwaha pointed out.
A student from Kerala alleged that he never saw the messages on the WhatsApp group of his college. "I continued to write my exam. Now I am worried that they will fail me."
While DU exam department dean Vinay Gupta claimed in a text message to TOI that "the question paper was immediately rectified and we informed all concerned", many stakeholders are saying that the students who had solved the old paper should get a respite.
KK Koul, the nodal officer of Hindu College, stated that many students didn't check their phones during the examination and answered the old paper. "The university should think about it and help these students; they cannot be penalised," Koul said.
Echoing him, Reetu Sharma, nodal officer of Ramjas College, said the mock test paper had caused loss of time and confusion and students must be compensated for it.
Despite repeated attempts, exam dean Gupta did not respond to TOI's query on any respite for students.
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