The Department of Employment, Technical Education and Training (ET&T) will monitor the semester examinations at the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) and restructure the flying squad to curb irregularities and cheating in the examinations. The department has taken the decision based on the complaints of the BPUT Students’ Association.

In their complaint to the Chief Minister and the Minister and Secretary of ET&T, the students’ association has alleged that a large-scale “squad-fixing” racket is active in the university and influences the examination process to facilitate cheating and wrongdoing.

As per the new plan by the department, the Examination Controller would prepare a list of flying squad members designated for specific colleges. The university Secretary would then reshuffle the list and the Vice-Chancellor would rejig the list again before a final list is made to ensure that private colleges do not have a say in squad selection.

Some students are, however, still not happy given that the BPUT continues to decide the squad even in the new arrangement. There is every chance of squad-fixing even under the new rules. “We would submit the report of irregularities in examination management as asked for by the Technical Education Department,” they said.

Notably, as per the existing rules, the BPUT Examination Controller prepares the final flying squad list. However, private colleges reportedly have a big say in the choice of the squad for their colleges. These preferred squads are illegally paid and influenced by private colleges to ensure they don’t invigilate while the students can continue to write examination papers by resorting to malpractices.