Rats to feast on TU exam papers again?

ANKIT ADHIKARI

KATHMANDU, JUN 05 

Hundreds of examination papers of the Tribhuvan University (TU) are at risk, again. Rats that reportedly ate up hundreds of answer sheets last year are on the prowl again, and the TU administration is doing precious little to prevent the impending disaster. Last year’s fiasco at a police station where the TU had stored the answer sheets had caused serious problems, including delayed results of exams.

The unchecked papers were handed over to the police station for security reasons by the university. As university officials failed to collect the answer sheets in time (even after two months from the date of exams), rats had a chance feast on them.

And students appearing in exams this year are a worried lot. “Why do we have to work so hard if the university allows the rats to eat up our papers?” questioned Bibek Dhakal, a student. “Something should be done. Students’ hard work should not go in vain.

I also doubt if the university has any special provision for security of other documents of the students.”

However, TU brushed aside the rat-eating-the-papers story altogether.

“We don’t suppose any examination paper was eaten by the rats,” said Dayaram Karmacharya, an examination controller official at the university. “There is no need to bring about any changes in the security system.”

Criticising this, a student, Karuna Maharjan, said, “TU should not shrug off its responsibilities. It can’t deny the fact that there were media reports all over on the issue. What credibility remains of the results the TU publishes if the papers are checked this fashion?”

However, the local police station in Kirtipur where the answer sheets were stored last year, claimed the police post has ample security measures.

“We don’t remember anything in particular about last year’s issue, but we are sure no rats can enter any of the shelves where the answer sheets have been stored,” an official at the police station, said, requesting anonymity.

While the exams are fast approaching, it is to be seen if the university and the police does something about the rats and the security measures where documents are stored.


Published in The Kathmandu Post -- June 6