Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) Vice-Chancellor Dr K N Chawda Thursday suspended 12 staff members, including the principal of Wadia Women’s College in Surat, from examination-related duties on Thursday in connection with the alleged leak of B-Com Economics exam question papers.
The suspended staff members include Dr. Ashok Desai (Principal), Dr. B B Bhandari (Exam Superintendent), K C Solanki (Exam Superintendent), teaching and clerical staffers Kejal Mehta, Kinaz Bhatena, Bhaya Yesha, Hetal Patel, Daxa Mistry, Unnati Naik, Ansari Nazmin, Bhavini Patel and Rana Riddhi.
The move comes a day after VNSGU in-charge registrar Jaydeep Chaudhary submitted a request to the Umra police seeking a probe into the paper leak issue. “We have received the complaint from the in-charge registrar of VNSGU. We will study the details and later record the statements of the suspected persons. In the application, in-charge registrar has not named any person involved in such activities. The university is also carrying out an investigation into the incident,” said Umra police inspector J R Chaudhary.
The 12 teaching and non-teaching staffers at the women’s college were suspended from examination-related activities until further notice based on a report by a fact-finding committee constituted by the VC.
“On the basis of the report, we have suspended 12 staffers of Wadia Women’s College, including the principal, to remain away from examination activities till further notice. We have also requested the Umra police to start a probe into the paper leak incident,” said Dr. Chawda.
However, it has been alleged the students shared the questions of the Economics paper that they had read in the college with their friends the same night. By the next morning, the questions were widely shared on social media. It has also been alleged that the college authorities hid the incident from the examination department of the university.
On April 20, VNSGU Senate member Dr. Bhavesh Rabari intimated Dr. Chawda about the paper leak following which the VC decided to cancel the exams.
VNSGU Vice-Chancellor Dr. K N Chawda soon cancelled the Economics examination, along with four others—English, History, Gujarat and Home Science—of BA 6th Semester. The cancelled papers of both B.Com and BA were held Thursday.
Meanwhile, preliminary investigation revealed that the paper was leaked from Wadia Women’s College the day before the exam.
Dr. Chawda formed an 11-member committee led by Dr. Snehalbhai Joshi to investigate the paper leak on April 21. The committee members took notes on the statements of 21 Wadia Women’s College teaching and non-teaching staff members and viewed CCTV footage.