TESTING TIME: Students of Bangalore's Mount Carmel College seen brushing up their lessons for the PU examination on Thursday. — Photo: K. Gopinathan

BANGALORE: As the second Pre-University (PU) examination commenced at 707 centres in the State on Thursday, 370 students were caught copying at a centre in Gulbarga district.

The PU department has cancelled the chemistry examination for all students of the centre and suspended the top officials who monitored the process there.

Mass copying was reported in the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pre-Unviersity College in Rangampette that comes under Surapura taluk of Gulbarga. Based on a detailed report from the district education officials, PU Department Commissioner S.G. Hegde cancelled the examination. He will soon announce a fresh date for re-examination in chemistry.

The centre's Chief Superintendent, Deputy Chief Superintendent and four Central Inspection Squad members were suspended pending inquiry. A new batch of examination officials was posted for the centre.

Security

In a statement, the Commissioner ruled that the remaining examinations would be held according to time-table. The district officials had ensured tight police bandobast at the centre, Mr. Hegde said.

As many as 36 other cases of malpractice were reported from different parts of the State. Of these, thirteen are from Gulbarga, seven from Raichur, four each from Bijapur and Bidar, three from Mandya, two each from Davangere and Chitradurga and one case from Bangalore South. Students involved in all the cases were debarred.

In centres across Bangalore, students found the chemistry paper easy and the questions to be on expected lines. A few practice sessions with model question papers would have made the examination easier, according to some students.

Strict invigilation

What surprised the students was the strict invigilation. Many centres reported at least three visits by these squads. As many as 4,57,781 students under the new syllabus and 36,431 under the old scheme have registered for the examination.

Under the new syllabus, there are 1,32,146 students for science subjects, 2,39,904 for arts and 85,731 for commerce.

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