The Directorate of Online and Distance Education (DODE) at Bangalore University on Wednesday conducted its first-ever online examination for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) online and distance courses, marking a major milestone in the university’s efforts to modernize and expand access to higher education.
About 870 students appeared for these exams online from their homes. Among the registered candidates were 697 students from Bengaluru, 123 from other parts of Karnataka and 48 students from other states. In addition, one candidate wrote the exam in Dubai and another in Australia. There were more women than men among them.
All courses for these students were conducted online from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, which is convenient for working professionals.
To ensure transparency, credibility and academic integrity, the university monitored the entire examination process using advanced AI-based tools along with manual proctoring. The question papers were made available online at the scheduled time and students wrote their answers using the prescribed answer sheets. After completing the exam, students scanned and uploaded their answer scripts to the portal, which is then evaluated by the Examination Section of Bangalore University.
Prof. Speaking to The Hindu, Muralidhara BL, Director, DODE, said, “The University Grants Commission (UGC) has allowed us to conduct the UG and PG exams online and this is the first time we have successfully done so. Since we also had out-of-district, out-of-state and foreign students registering for the exam, we decided to conduct it online. This is a descriptive type exam. The 32-page answer booklets had to be completed beforehand from home or workplace. Students viewed the questions on their computers, wrote them on answer sheets, then scanned and uploaded them to the portal.
Appointed Proctors
To further strengthen monitoring, 45 trained manual proctors were randomly assigned by the system to supervise students throughout the examination period. This hybrid model of monitoring with artificial intelligence and human protection ensures fairness and reliability in the examination process, the university said.
One proctor was appointed for every 25 students to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination. A portal with software supporting artificial intelligence was used for this test. This software carefully tracked student movement and sent information to proctors. Thus, no examination error was possible. “If any student is caught in malpractices, action will be taken as per rules,” Prof Muralidhara warned.
The exams cover a wide range of graduate and undergraduate programs, including master’s degrees in English, Kannada, Hindi, history, economics, political science and sociology; MSc in Mathematics; MCom and BCom.
As some students may not have access to laptops or desktop computers at home, we have arranged computer facilities at the Jnanabharathi campus to support these students and ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged.
Published – 11 March 2026 21:16 IST
