Kolkata: Questions from film studies minor paper appeared in the postgraduate comparative literature semester examination paper at Jadavpur University on Thursday, leaving the invigilator as well as the examinees confused.
Around 50 second-year postgraduate comparative literature students took the two-hour examination that started at 11.30 am on Thursday. During the examination, the invigilator noticed film studies questions on one side of the comparative literature question paper. The invigilator informed the head of the department immediately. The latter informed the controller of examination and the head of the film studies department regarding the questions.
Initially, the students were perplexed but instructors advised them to continue writing to avoid wasting time. Students expressed worry about the film studies minor paper scheduled for Jan 28. "Nearly 45 undergraduate third-year students will appear for the exam but we do not know whether the date is changed or not as the questions are apparently ‘out'," a student stated.
Debashree Dattaray, head of the comparative literature department, and Abhijit Roy, head of the film studies department, refused to comment, stating they "do not have the authority to comment on exam-related matters".
Controller of examination Satyaki Bhattacharyya said: "As soon as I received the news, I went to the department and took appropriate measures. A fresh set of comparative literature question papers with the same questions were printed and distributed to the students and the question paper containing film studies questions were withdrawn."
He confirmed the Jan 28 schedule for the film studies minor paper, which will now require new questions by Jan 24. Bhattacharyya attributed the error to the press, stating: "We have show-caused the press and if necessary, we will blacklist them. From now onwards, the controller of the examination section will open and check every question paper before sending them to the press so that there is zero fault."
Teachers criticised the examination controller's section for being too "casual" after another incident at the International Relations department, where insufficient question papers caused a 30-minute delay due to photocopying requirements.