Karachi, While the phenomenon of “leaked papers” seems to be commonplace, blank answer sheets are now being sold at the University of Karachi (KU) by the “cheating mafia,” exposing the ongoing examination process for private candidates of the Bachelor of Arts (BA) programmes as purposeless.

Each answer booklet for private candidates is priced at Rs10,000, and these copies can be filled outside examination centres. Answer booklets are distributed through the Store Section, and staff at the department note down serial numbers imprinted on the booklet before handing them to centre superintendents.

In practice, the process of examination has to pass through the offices of private registration and the department of examination, which approve and issue relevant documentation for candidates. Once the documentation is complete, students are then considered eligible to sit in particular exams.

The sale of blank answer sheets makes the examination process redundant, however, as students only have to ensure that their completed answer booklets are received by the cheating mafia, and placed in the pile of final answer sheets according to serial and roll numbers.

Those involved in cheating often deal with centre superintendents, and receive blank answer copies as per their requirements, sources said. Any student availing this “facility” is bound to submit answer booklets to the centre’s superintendent once the exam is formally over. These candidates have one hour to deposit their answer booklets, and superintendents adjust these copies according to their serial numbers, sources claimed.

“Matters are settled at the offices of private registration and the department of examination before a candidate appears in the exam,” sources revealed, adding that answer booklets are easily accessible to impersonators and “favourites” at legal and illegal examination centres.

Sources said that KU has its own printing press, where the entry of unauthorised persons is strictly banned. Question papers, however, are available outside exam centres, sources claimed. When The News visited different examination centres situated within the university campus, it was learnt that BA question papers were available well before the start time of the exam.

The phenomenon of impersonation is also rife in these exams, with a minimum of Rs5,000 being charged as the fee for ensuring that someone other than the original candidate takes the exam. Those student wings which are directly involved in impersonation cases charge Rs6,000 per subject, sources said. Furthermore, charges for changing a candidate’s picture, and issuing another registration and admit card bearing the original stamp of the assistant controller of the examination start from Rs12,000 and can go up to Rs15, 000, sources claimed.

Agents without any links to the university also operate, but charge Rs8,000 for impersonation, sources maintained. Employees working at the Department of Examination (External), located at the Silver Jubilee Gate, collect between Rs3,000 and Rs4,500 for issuing an ‘admit card’ to covering students. This facilitates an impostor appearing in the exams in place of the original candidate, sources said.

In cases where either the impersonator or the genuine candidate are afraid of vigilance teams, extra amounts are paid to obtain a ‘registration card’ bearing the photograph of the candidate who will appear in the exams, sources explained, claiming that those involved in this business receive between Rs5,000 and Rs7, 000 each..

The attendance of such candidates is also marked confidentially, sources said, claiming that the cheating mafia also use the cover of various student wings to pose themselves as blameless.

Sources told The News that the phenomenon of abetting cheating is facilitated by the “cheating mafia,” which consists of teaching and non-teaching employees of the university, as well as several student wings of political parties.

Interestingly, sources said, teaching and non-teaching employees of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST), Karachi are also actively involved in this matter.

Further, sources alleged, the in charge of one of the science departments, an assistant professor at the Arts faculty, a central librarian, and a clerk at the Science faculty are the key players of this “business.” Sources further claimed that an office assistant, who has also worked in the office of the Dean of Commerce before joining the Dean of Science, is known as the “king” of the cheating mafia, and has more assets compared to anyone at the campus.

Sources narrated that one of the factions of a student wing, allegedly heavily involved in this racket, offers certain guarantees as per their standards. If one of their impersonating candidates is caught by vigilance teams, the student wing assumes the responsibility of paying the fine, sources said.

The fine imposed in such a circumstance amounts to Rs5,000, while the student is merely disqualified from that particular exam. However, no ban on such students is imposed, and they can retake these examinations the next time round, sources explained. Moreover, sources claimed, the impersonator usually goes scot-free, and no punitive action or inquiry is initiated against such practices or the perpetrators – university employees or alien agents – of this phenomenon.

Sources claimed that a house located in the KU Staff Town, Block-D, is being used as an illegal examination centre, where favourites fill in answer sheets, even though they have already appeared at the actual examination centre.

Other “centres” of examination include an apartment situated in County Garden, Metroville-III, Faraz Avenue in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and other places near KU and Millennium Mall. These illegal centres are being run with the aid of the KU staff, sources alleged.

The new examination complex located in front of the IBA Boys Hostel is said to the “den” of the cheating mafia, sources said, while examination centres at and in proximity of the Department of Health and Physical Education is another haven for the cheating mafia.

These centres have several front men in this business, sources explained, adding that a couple of them play a major role once exams are over. Sources said that while in the recent past, the cheating mafia approached a person in need of help and offered their services, the situation now is that anyone can approach the mafia for support.

Recently, vigilance teams during visits to the examination centres, including those at the the Department of Geology, Old Computer Science Building, Library Information and Sciences as well as a couple of blocks of Sheikh Zayed Islamic Centre, witnessed several cases of impersonations and unfair mean cases.

Till March 8, 2010, different vigilance teams have reported 104 unfair means and 13 impersonation cases. Four mobile phones were also recovered from students, which were being used to answer the question, albeit with help from “friends” outside the examination centres.