Calcutta University has proposed to send its team of invigilators to curb complaints of mass copying in the semester examinations of postgraduate courses in affiliated colleges.

The interim vice-chancellor tabled the proposal in a meeting of the faculty council of arts, commerce, library science and home science held on June 20 to discuss complaints of mass copying flagged by teachers.

According to a CU official, VC Santa Datta said as the absence of proper invigilation was at the heart of the complaints of mass copying, a team of invigilators from the university be sent to invigilate the examinations.

On June 11, the Calcutta University Teachers’ Association (CUTA) wrote to the VC stating that the “malpractices were adversely affecting the fame” of CU.

The teachers said instances of mass copying came to their notice when the answer scripts were examined.

“It was difficult to distinguish one answer script from another because the contents were identical,” said a professor of Rajabazar Science College.

Mahalaya Chatterjee, president of the CUTA, who attended the meeting of the faculty councils, said: “The vice-chancellor proposed that the university send its invigilators to curb complaints of mass copying in colleges. However, we are unsure whether the university has adequate staff to carry out the exercise....”

It was also suggested that the students of colleges pursuing postgraduate programmes write the examination at the university and the university’s students write their exams in colleges under the away centre model.

“We want the university to come up with a model that is effective and is backed up with adequate human resources. It has to be applied across all the faculties”, said Chatterjee.

Chatterjee, in the letter to the VC, reminded her that they had also approached her (VC) in February for a meeting to curb the menace of copying.

On the same day, a meeting of the faculty council of science and technology was also held.“It was proposed that the task of setting the questions and evaluation of examination scripts be left entirely to the colleges as part of the autonomous model. While awarding the degree it will just be mentioned that the concerned college has awarded the degree,” said Sanatan Chatterjee, the secretary of the teachers’ association.

Now all certificates say that the CU has awarded the degree.

A university official said the VC objected to this proposal. “We need some time to make a concrete decision,” VC Datta told The Telegraph.