B.Sc Agriculture Plant Pathology Exam Cancelled By Raipur University Following Paper Leak

The government-run Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) in Raipur has cancelled the B.Sc Agriculture first-year Plant Pathology examination held on August 7 after a police investigation confirmed that the question paper had been leaked, officials said on Sunday. The decision affects students who had already appeared for the examination and will require them to take the paper again. The university has announced that the cancelled examination will be conducted afresh in the first week of September.

The decision was taken during an emergency meeting chaired by IGKV Vice Chancellor Dr Girish Chandel. The meeting followed the August 20 leak of the Entomology question paper, a second-year B.Sc Agriculture subject under the university. The Entomology paper leak had already triggered a police investigation and led to the arrest of a professor and five students of a private college in Durg district.

According to officials, the investigation into the Entomology paper leak subsequently revealed that the Plant Pathology question paper had also been compromised. The Plant Pathology examination had been conducted on August 7 for first-year B.Sc Agriculture students. Once investigators confirmed that the paper had been leaked, the university decided that the examination could no longer be treated as valid and ordered a re-test.

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The latest development has widened the scope of the investigation into question paper leaks connected with examinations conducted under IGKV. The earlier Entomology case had resulted in arrests, including that of a professor and five students, after the August 20 paper was allegedly leaked. The discovery that another examination paper had also been compromised has raised further concerns about the integrity of the university's examination process and the security arrangements surrounding question papers.

The university said the Plant Pathology re-examination would be held in the first week of September. Students who appeared for the August 7 examination will therefore have to take the paper again. Officials also said the re-test for the leaked Entomology question paper would be conducted during the same period. Holding both examinations within the same timeframe is expected to allow the university to address the affected papers while maintaining the academic schedule as far as possible.

Question paper leaks can disrupt academic calendars and create uncertainty for students who have already invested time preparing for examinations. In this case, the cancellation means first-year agriculture students must repeat an examination they had already completed. The decision, however, follows the university's confirmation that the integrity of the original paper had been compromised. Conducting a fresh examination allows the university to ensure that all students are assessed through a question paper that has not been affected by the leak.

The police investigation remains central to determining how the question papers were leaked and whether the cases are connected. The arrests in the Entomology case indicate that investigators have already identified individuals allegedly linked to that leak. The discovery of the Plant Pathology leak during the investigation could lead authorities to examine whether similar methods were used to obtain or circulate the second paper.

The university's decision to cancel the August 7 examination underscores the seriousness with which the administration is treating the issue. Officials have scheduled the Plant Pathology re-test and the Entomology re-test for the first week of September, providing affected students with a new opportunity to complete the examinations. Further developments in the police investigation are expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the leaks and establish responsibility for compromising the examination papers.

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