No action against 800 suspected MSU copycats

Vadodara: In a significant decision, MS University has decided not to take disciplinary action against 800 students who were suspected to have adopted unfair means during online exams conducted between November last year and January this year. The students have been given benefit of doubt.
The unfair means committee had registered 1,822 cases, in which students were suspected to have used unfair means while appearing for their online exams during this period. Of these, 1,047 students were finally shortlisted and were to be called before the committee for hearing.
Sources said that of the 1,047 students, 266 were issued warning and allowed to pursue their academics without any disciplinary action.
The disciplinary action against the rest of the students was pending. During Tuesday’s syndicate meeting, the report of unfair means committee was tabled before the syndicate members, who decided not to take any action against these students.
“The students have received the benefit of doubt as many of these students had appeared for the online exams using iPhone and/ or iPads. The portal that the university had developed for conducting the online exams was not equipped to keep a check on susceptible movements of students who appeared through iPhones,” said a syndicate member.
In many such cases, the software captured blank clips or clips which did not establish that the student was indeed using unfair means to clear the exams.
MSU officials said that the university has taken the unanimous decision of not pursuing disciplinary action against 800 such students so that their careers do not get jeopardize.
“This, however, should be treated as last warning to such students,” said a university official, adding that the university too has shifted towards offline mode of examinations in which copycats won’t go scot-free.