Ballari VC will monitor exams on cellphone

HUBBALLI: Watch out for digital eyes before you pull out a chit to cheat in university examinations. Students of Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University will be electronically monitored during examinations through an extensive surveillance and centralized monitoring system.
The university plans to install CCTV cameras in all its 46 exam centres in Ballari and Koppal districts, and relay the feed to the cellphones of top university administrators, including the vice-chancellor and registrars.
Stand-in vice-chancellor Prof J Somashekhar told TOI the move follows recommendations made by an inquiry committee headed by Prof Jayanna of the business administration department. The university is no stranger to exam malpractices.
The vice-chancellor said: “Some centres have been identified as sensitive based on past records. These centres will have CCTV cameras in the June examination. The university, using its budget funds, will install CCTVs in all its exam centres. Considering the financial constraints, private colleges will be given some time to install cameras. Most government colleges already have CCTVs,” he said.
The CCTVs will be connected to a centralized system at the university and mapped to the cellphones of the university bigwigs. “We’ll get live feed from the examination halls either on workstations or smartphones,” he said.
Prof Katepaga Vijaykumar, registrar (administration), said CCTVs are likely to be installed at evaluation centres to avoid suspicious activities.