DU OBE 2020: Political Science students receive mock exam paper during online book examination

Delhi University's political science students were left baffled on Friday after they received a mock examination paper instead of the real paper during their online open-book exam.

Final year students of BA (Honours) Political Science said that at 11.30 am, when they logged into the portal, they found a question paper and they started solving it only to realise later that it was the question paper that was given to them during mock exams. They claimed that the correct question paper was only uploaded at 12 pm.

A student, requesting anonymity, said, "I received a question paper on mail which I attempted ‪from 11:30‬ am and was able to mail the same to ‪obescript@exam.du.ac.in‬ by ‪3:32 pm‬. I did not check my phone during the entire time, as I was writing my paper."

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"Around 3:40‬ pm through messages on the formal class group I realised that the paper I attempted was not the one and another paper was uploaded on the website at around 12 pm, of which I was not aware," the student said. Another student of Kalindi College wrote to the varsity sharing the same grievance.

"The area I live in has network issues so I logged out from the portal after downloading the question paper. When I logged in to the portal to upload my answer sheet I found that the question paper had been changed," a student wrote.

Students of BA Programme in School Of Open Learning reported that they again received question papers of two different subjects. The university wrote to them informing that they should only attempt the paper they opted for.

According to Delhi University's Dean of Colleges Balaram Pani, the students were given additional time for finishing their answers. When asked what will happen to the students who answered the mock exam question paper, he said the Grievance Committee will be looking into the matter and they will be given a second chance.

Over one lakh students took the exam on Friday, said another official from the varsity. The varsity said that it has opted for the online open book examinations as a one-time measure in view of the COVID-19 situation for final year students.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the varsity said that in the last four days, students have successfully attempted and submitted their answer scripts on the OBE portal of DU.

"Some of our students, who at present are in remote/ far-flung areas have submitted their answer scripts via the option of email available to them. Students with special needs have also been given the option to send answer scripts by email," it said.

Cumulative data shows that the number of papers attempted by regular students is 1,10,085, while for Non-Collegiate Women's Education Board (NCWEB) and School of Open Learning (SOL) it is 1,54,142 on the OBE portal. The answer scripts submitted by regular students are 82,496 on the OBE portal.