A report on IGNOU, Itanagar Regional Centre's performance [ July 4, 2014]

IGNOU sets new benchmark for quality, discipline

D.EL.Ed examination ends successfully, despite theft, pilferage, affecting 3 lakhs examinees world across.

Jarpum Gamlin

ITANAGAR July 4:

In the just concluded Diploma in Elementary Education (D.EL.Ed) examinations, detection of theft and pilferage of question papers at eleventh hour from general post office, Aalo in West Siang, Arunachal Pradesh led to postponement of four subjects and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) which offers the course had to reset the paper and reschedule the examination for more than 3 lakh examinees across India and abroad..

‘The first semester, end of 2^nd year course of D.EL.Ed examination for the in-service teachers which began on June 25 last ended smoothly on Tuesday last despite theft and pilferage of papers in West Siang, Arunachal Pradesh,’ said an official source.

Sources told this daily, earlier on June 13 last, that the postal package containing question papers went missing from the General Post Office, Aalo. However, on June 17 last, theft and pilferage came to light when a new address tag was found that read “Principal, Government Primary School, Kamki” instead of IGNOU’s standard practice of marking address to “Principal, DIET, Kamki”.

Pilfered packages contained the questions papers of June 23, 24, 27 and 28. Therefore, we could start the examinations only on 25^th last, source explained.

The source further said that four teachers from Government Primary School, Kamki who were responsible for the theft and pilferage of the question papers were debarred from appearing in the examination by IGNOU and investigation was launched against Post Master for violation of memorandum of understanding between IGNOU and Indian Postal Services.

Sources added that 4366 teachers, mostly Assistant Teachers and Junior Teachers, across 15 centres in Arunachal Pradesh took the examinations under the watchful eyes of 10 independent observers deputed from the Regional Director’s Office, IGNOU. However, due to logistical constraints independent observers could not be deployed at three centres- Khupa in Anjaw district, Roing in Lower Dibang Valley and Khonsa in Tirap. Two centres in Itanagar and Naharlagun were centrally monitored by the Regional Director’s office.

‘At least 33 examinees (in-service teachers) have been barred from appearing in the examination due to cheating inside the examination hall, informed the source.

‘It’s not for nothing that IGNOU, Itanagar has been ranked as the best centre in the country last year. We hope to retain the No. 1 position this year as well,’ said an official while adding that year before that it was ranked 59^th in the country.