IoE to hold fresh exams as CIB proves question paper leak

REPUBLICA KATHMANDU, Sept 3 Once considered one of the most reputed academic entities in South Asia, Tribhuvan University´s Institute of Engineering (IoE) on Monday decided to conduct fresh entrance examinations as the Central Investigation Bureau has established that a question paper leak took place on August 11. A meeting held at the IoE dean´s office decided to conduct fresh exams and scrap the previous one held on August 12. “We are waiting for an official report from the CIB before taking any action,” said Bharat Pahadi, the IoE dean. “We are in discussions to announce a new date.” Over 13,000 students had appeared in the entrance examination for 4,000 seats in 14 colleges across the country. “I want to become a skilled civil engineer but such incidents have discouraged my belief in the institution,” said Bipin Bhusal, who appeared in the entrance exam. The CIB on Monday sent its preliminary report to the IoE dean´s office with evidence of the leakage. CIB chief Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Upendra Kanta Aryal told Republica that further investigations are continuing as the main guilty is still at large. “The sequence of developments in this case indicates the involvement of administrative staff at the institute,” said DIG Aryal, adding “There is more probability of the outflow having taken place while the questions were being carryied back to the administration department from the press.” The CIB had arrested nine persons including a lecturer, a computer operator and seven students on August 13, out of suspicion of their involvement in the case. The students — Niraj Chaudhary, Karan Chaurasiya, Raj Kumar Raut, Amit Kumar Yadav, Rajiv Chaulagain, Ram Binaya Yadav and Manoj Yadav — are also in police custody for further investigations. The preliminary report of the CIB has established that the questions for the IoE entrance exam were leaked on August 11, a day before the exams were held. Nepal Student Union (NSU), sister organisation of the Nepali Congress, staged a protest at Pulchowk Engineering Campus, demanding investigation of the alleged question paper leak. The students also vandalized the dean´s office, alleging that question papers being sold in the market on Friday were similar to those distributed during the examination. Students who appeared in the entrance exam had complained that the questions were similar to those in the papers sold in the market. Meanwhile, a five-member committee formed under the chairmanship of former rector Gita Bhakta Joshi to probe the leak allegation was scrapped after the students demanded the inclusion of a student representative on the committee.
Source: My Republica DailyLink: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=41068
Published on 2012-09-03 23:30:36