Nagpur: Around 70 students of Prerna College have been left in limbo as Nagpur University (NU) is yet to announce the re-exam date for their BBA (four years honours/research) NEP Semester IV English paper, which was halted midway on May 26.The examination took place at Dhanwate National College (DNC), which was allotted around 100 examinees from different colleges. Around 10 to 15 candidates from a college objected to the question paper, alleging that several questions were out of the syllabus. However, the Prerna College students did not find any issues with the paper and were willing to continue with the examination.Caught in a dilemma, the examination centre officials contacted the NU exam section. “The centre officials told us to take back answer sheets as well as question papers. The official told us that the director of examinations and evaluation ordered the step. However, it was not clarified whether to collect papers only from students who were objecting to out-of-syllabus questions or from all. Hence, we stopped the entire exam midway,” they said.Centre officials said they wrote to the NU exam section the same day, detailing the episode. “Strangely, we got a reply dated June 11 but received on June 15, saying there was no error in the question paper and the centre must take a decision accordingly,” they said.The May 26 incident surfaced recently after DNC and Prerna College officials wrote multiple times seeking a re-exam, but the NU exam section remained undecided. Vice-chancellor Manali Kshirsagar did not answer TOI queries on the issue.A DNC official said the centre only had an attendance sheet of examinees and no other details. “The centre is not authorised to hold a re-exam on behalf of the university. It is the exam section’s duty to decide and inform students. Yet, we are following up with the exam section to avoid any academic loss to students,” the official said.Nagpur University exam section officials said the board of studies chairperson ruled that all questions were from the syllabus. “This is the first batch under this NEP pattern, so there is no possibility of any old question paper being delivered. The exam section directed the DNC to take back papers only from those students who objected to out-of-syllabus questions and not all,” a NU official said. The officials did not clarify if a retest would be held.The incident took place days before the BCom IV semester blunder, where students were delivered a III semester question paper during their Fundamentals of Banking paper on June 4. Unlike the BCom case, there was nothing wrong in the English paper, and the exam was smoothly held at all other centres in Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara and Gondia.
