Veer Madho Singh Bhandari Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU), Dehradun, has canceled two ongoing semester exams after an investigation found that an external paper setter had allegedly shared questions with students ahead of one of the papers. The decision affects students from 12 institutes attached to the university.The university has also disqualified the faculty member from all examination-related work for seven years, while the university where he worked has terminated his services.
The complaint led to an investigation
The controversy began after the university received a complaint about the machine learning exam for the Internet of Things.In an order issued by the controller of examinations Dr. VK Patel, the university said that the various inquiries made by the university and the institution which reported the matter found that the external paper setter had circulated questions identical to those appearing in the exam through the institution’s internal portal and WhatsApp before the test.The investigation also found that another paper by the same faculty member, Electromagnetic Field Theory, was also suspected of being leaked.“The canceled examinations of both the subjects will be re-conducted in the third week of August 2026. All institutions are requested to immediately inform the affected students about this important decision so that they can prepare properly for the re-examinations within the stipulated time,” the university order said.
Disqualified teacher for seven years
The university has banned the paper’s editor from all exam-related work for the next seven years.“The paper setter has been debarred with immediate effect from all examination related work of the University for the next seven years,” the order said.The Controller of Examinations also warned the college for failing to maintain “adequate institutional supervision and control”.
The university says the questions were shared on WhatsApp
According to Shivalik College of Engineering, the alleged leak happened before the exam.The principal of the college, Dr TS Sidhu, told the media that the professor had allegedly shared around 50 questions with students in a WhatsApp group. These questions appeared later in the exam I had taken.The university has since terminated the assistant professor.
Extinction followed the results of the university
The termination letter traces the sequence of events for nearly two weeks.According to the college, it received a complaint about the alleged leak on July 8. A preliminary inquiry commission was set up on July 10 and submitted its report on July 13.“Based on the preliminary findings, the registrar constituted a commission of inquiry on July 10. The commission submitted its report on July 13, following which the institute initiated disciplinary action against you on July 14,” the termination letter said.Initially, the institution banned the faculty from preparing question papers for three years.The matter was later investigated by the university, which, in a letter dated July 22, held the paper’s editor responsible for the exam leak and imposed a seven-year ban on all university exam papers.“Given the University’s previous findings and considering the seriousness of the misconduct, your actions constitute a serious breach of trust and professional ethics, prejudicing your continued service to the interests and reputation of the Institution,” the termination letter states.He added that the services of the Assistant Professor were terminated with immediate effect as per Clause 15 of his letter of appointment dated 22 July 2019.So, even after stricter laws and repeated crackdowns, how do exam papers continue to reach students before the test begins? This is what the university’s action, and any further investigation, will now have to answer.