Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Integrating technology into its exam process, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV) successfully transmitted question papers for supplementary exams in online mode on Tuesday. The pilot project aimed at curbing logistical costs and mitigating risks of paper leaks by digitally delivering exam papers to designated centres.
Exam centres received the online question papers from a central control room at 7 am, just one hour before the exam commenced at 8:00 am. Vice chancellor Prof Rakesh Singhai, deputy registrar Prajwal Khare, press controller Dr Ajay Tiwari, and a TCS technical team supervised the distribution at the exam centres.
A three-password security system was utilized to ensure the integrity of the process with each centre receiving one-time passwords to access and download the exams. In a first for the university, four centres in the morning session and five in the afternoon were part of this online system. The VC himself downloaded the exam papers at Gujarati College as part of a hands-on assessment of the procedure.
"Historically, the physical transport of exam papers has been expensive and posed security risks. The digital distribution saves on costs and increases security," said Khare. Until now, physical question papers were delivered 24 hours in advance within the city and up to two days prior in district centres often requiring storage in local police stations to ensure security. The university partnered with MP Online and TCS to develop a dedicated software for secure online paper transmission.
A unique password system was integrated ensuring that exam centres could only access the question papers with generated, one-time passwords. Following the launch of the software, DAVV conducted a mock trial on Sunday and provided training to exam centre personnel. The system went live without any technical issues with reports confirming a smooth process at all centres. The university plans to use the online transmission for upcoming exams from November 11 to 13 as it expands the pilot project. "This is a successful first step in making our examination processes more efficient and secure," Khare said.
