Complaints are pouring in about mismanagement of TISS-NET, the computer based national entrance test conducted by TISS, five days ago. According to exam takers, there was rampant ‘copying’ during the exam – meaning candidates using their cell phones to call for the right answers.
Till reports came in last, TISS officials had debarred two candidates from taking the exam for cheating. Approximately 17,400 students took TISS-NET this year.
TISS-NET, which is ‘objective’ in nature was held on December 22, 2013 in 35 centres across the country. According to a few test takers who PaGaLGuY got in touch with, usage of mobile phones during the exam was quite the thing this year. One candidate who took the exam, claims to have done a bit of research and says that phones were used in centres in Ranchi, Hyderabad, Gwalior, Delhi and Bangalore. PaGaLGuY however, couldn’t independently confirm this charge.
Another candidate informed that the centre as which she gave the exam, the invigilator shouted at those who were speaking on their phones. “But no one paid heed and finally the invigilator laughed and told the candidates that it was finally about their own career.”
Yet another test taker said that calls were primarily being made for GK answers. “The exam boiled down to the GK section and it seemed faster getting answers from outside the examination hall than within. The paper was tough.”
Charges about test-takers talking among themselves and sharing answers have also come in. However, this accusation seems a little far-fetched considering that questions were jumbled. Explained Prof. Neela Dabir, Deputy Director (Admissions). “How can they say that they shared or copied answers when the questions were in random order in all the papers. If it was a paper pencil exam, I could have agreed but not in a computer exam.”
When asked about the usage of phones, Prof Dabir flatly denied the charge. “The exam is conducted by TCS which conducts different exams and practically every Sunday. You think it would conduct the exam in such a poor fashion of letting candidates use their mobile phones when the exam is in progress.”
Prof Dabir confirmed however that two candidates were indeed pulled up for cheating and told to leave the exam half-way.
A source connected to Admissions at TISS added that while all the accusations of ‘cheating’ were false, an investigation is in progress nevertheless. He explained that usually, candidates who do not fare well come up with issues like these.
When asked whether any strong action will be taken if the complaints are found to be true, the source added that every year candidates claim to find some problem or the other – “it has become a fashion to complain about ‘wrong’ questions, bad invigilators or unsatisfactory infrastructure.”