Thumbprints to block JEE frauds

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, September 27, 2007

THE STATE’S JEE candidates will go through a series of thumbprint checks ahead of next year’s examination, a move to weed out fake candidates.
“Last year many dummy candidates took the entrance, which should not have happened. No we are taking every possible step to ensure that only genuine candidates appear,” said N.R. Banerjea, chairman of the West Bengal JEE Board.
Candidates will give their left thumb impressions on at least three occasions. The first impression will be on the application form, the second on the attendance sheet and the third on the optical marker reader (OMR) — the sheet on which they will answer multiple-choice questions. The board may also ask them for their thumb impressions on the objective-type answer-sheet. If any of the later impressions fail to match the first, the candidate will be put under the scanner.
The thumb impression is part of a procedure followed in IIT-JEE. “It will be one of the steps to check dummy candidates. If any dispute arises on the identity of a candidate, forensic experts will examine the thumb prints and the truth will come out,” the board chairman said.
In another step against dummies, the board will do away with using scanned photographs and ask each candidate to submit six originals. One of these will be on the attendance sheet and another on the admit card, which will be laminated so that no one can tamper with it.
Last year, a coaching centre had sent several dummy candidates. This time, no coaching centre will be allowed to issue forms and prospectuses. These will be available only with United Bank of India (UBI) offices in West Bengal and Tripura. Like the thumb impression, this too is a procedure followed in IIT-JEE, as well as CAT.
“The form will have three parts, one of which will be with the candidate, one with the bank and the third with the board. To prevent cheating, one or both parents of each candidate must sign the form,” the board chairman said.
mou.chakraborty@hindustantimes.com
BOX
· Thumb prints at three stages, starting from filling the form and ending in the examination hall

· Six original photographs, including one each on admit card and attendance sheet

· Form, prospectus only at UBI offices in Bengal and Tripura, none with coaching centres. Copy of form with board, parents’ signature necessary