Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A glaring case of negligence has surfaced yet again in the examination system of Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya (DAVV), causing an uproar in academic circles. The blunder occurred during the ongoing MBA second semester exams, where an envelope containing the question paper for a future exam was mistakenly opened — three days in advance.

The incident took place at Govindram Seksaria Institute of Management Research (GSIMR), a designated centre for the MBA exams. On June 16, instead of opening the envelope for the Operational Management paper scheduled for that day, invigilators at the centre mistakenly opened the envelope containing the Entrepreneurship exam paper, which is slated for June 19 (Thursday).

Once the mistake came to light, it triggered immediate concern at the university. A meeting was hastily convened by DAVV officials, who subsequently directed all affiliated centres to return the sealed and unsealed question papers for security assessment. The university has also served a notice to GSIMR, requiring the institution to submit a formal explanation within five days. University officials have warned that disciplinary action will follow once the explanation is reviewed.

According to sources, the GSIMR centre head claimed the blunder occurred due to a shortage of Operational Management papers in the original envelope. In an attempt to resolve the shortage, staff opened another envelope — only to realise too late that it contained a paper for a different subject. Fortunately, the mistakenly opened entrepreneurship papers were not distributed once the error was identified.

However, DAVV officials have refuted the explanation, stating that the university routinely sends extra question papers to every centre to prevent exactly this type of mishap. “This level of carelessness is unacceptable,” said DAVV assistant registrar (exams) Dr Vishnu Mishra.  “All centres have been directed to return the existing papers by Wednesday evening, and new question papers for the entrepreneurship subject will be dispatched accordingly,” he added.

The MBA second semester exams, which began in the second week of June, are being conducted at 30 centres, with over 12,000 students enrolled. Each exam is scheduled between 3 pm and 6 pm.