IIT Bombay Proposes New Exam Protocol: Students Can Finish Paper After Cheating Case
IIT Bombay has proposed a revised procedure for handling suspected cheating during exams, including allowing students to complete their papers after an incident is recorded and ensuring support is available after they leave the examination hall.
IIT Bombay has proposed a new procedure for handling suspected cheating and unfair-means cases during examinations, with a focus on separating the incident-reporting process from the student’s ongoing exam and disciplinary proceedings.
Under the interim recommendations, if an invigilator detects suspected cheating, the relevant material would be seized and the incident documented. The student would then be allowed to continue the examination using a fresh answer booklet. Further disciplinary action would be handled by the institute’s Disciplinary Action Committee rather than the invigilator.
Students would also be given an opportunity to record their version of the incident after the examination. A prescribed form would be used for the invigilator’s report, while the student could submit a separate account in the presence of additional staff.
The proposed process also includes a student-support measure. IIT Bombay’s Quick Response Team helpline would be alerted after a student involved in a malpractice case leaves the examination hall, so the student is not left alone immediately after the incident.
The recommendations were prepared by an eight-member committee of four faculty members and four students following the September 18 death by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode. The committee submitted its interim report to the IIT Bombay Senate.
Meanwhile, the Senate has temporarily reverted to the institute’s 2015 examination-misconduct rules, putting stricter penalties introduced in July on hold.
The proposed exam measures include banning electronic devices and bags inside examination buildings, CCTV monitoring, limiting bio-breaks to one student at a time and closing entry 30 minutes after an exam begins. Routine physical frisking has also been proposed to be discontinued.
The recommendations remain interim, with final guidelines expected after further consideration by the Senate.
