A recent examination for the post of laboratory attendant at Delhi University’s Hindu College was thrown into chaos after several candidates were allegedly caught using mobile phones and Bluetooth devices to cheat. The incidents prompted an immediate police investigation, as confirmed by The Indian Express.
The written examination, which took place in two shifts on Friday— from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and again from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm—was held at the Hindu College campus in Maurice Nagar, North Delhi. According to reports, similar disruptions also took place on Saturday, leading to further police involvement to investigate the situation.
Police Investigate Cheating Allegations
The Delhi Police were alerted when the college principal, Anju Srivastava, submitted five formal complaints during the course of the exam. She handed over several mobile phones and Bluetooth devices that were allegedly being used for cheating, along with a written account detailing the malpractice.
“The principal of Hindu College… has given a written complaint about the use of illicit means by five candidates. Four candidates were handed over by the college along with devices, while one of them ran away, but his phone was recovered. Cases have been registered under applicable sections,” said Raja Banthia, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).
Candidates Caught with Bluetooth Devices
A senior official from the Delhi University administration confirmed that multiple candidates were found with Bluetooth earphones, which they were allegedly using to receive answers from external sources during the exam.
“It was an examination for the position of lab attendant. Several individuals were caught using sophisticated devices during the examination. They were using Bluetooth earphones and writing answers in the question paper,” the official stated.
The university administration has confirmed that action was taken immediately. Principal Srivastava said, “The college has taken action from its side by intimating the incidents to the Delhi Police.”
Faculty Concerned Over Examination Integrity
A faculty member at Hindu College expressed concern over the cheating incidents, noting that they occurred on two separate days—Friday and Saturday. The cheating was uncovered when an invigilator caught one candidate using Bluetooth devices, which led to the discovery of others involved in similar activities.
“The incidents of cheating happened on two days – Friday and Saturday – where we saw individuals being caught cheating using Bluetooth devices. The invigilator caught one person, and that revealed a nexus of several people doing the same. It is suspected that answers to the question paper were being passed from someone outside who probably already knew the questions,” the faculty member said.
The faculty also raised concerns about the infrastructure of the college, emphasizing the need for better measures to prevent such cheating incidents, especially at one of the top colleges of the university.
“We really need to pay attention to why such lapses are happening. It is one of the top colleges of the university, and it needs to have better infrastructure than this to avoid such cases of cheating,” the faculty member added.
It has been reported that nearly 25,000 candidates applied for the laboratory attendant position, making the competition fierce. With such a high number of applicants, the pressure to perform well in the exam might have contributed to the cheating incidents.