UGC calls on colleges and universities across the country to deploy jammers
In order to effectively curb exam cheating, Bangalore University will deploy cellphone signal jammers for the first time in the November 2019 semester exams. This measure is aimed at discouraging the use of electronic devices to maintain the fairness and impartiality of the exams. As the first college in Karnataka to use cellphone signal jammers, Bangalore University's decision is not only an important step in promoting academic integrity, but also in line with the latest instructions and recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Recently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a circular requiring undergraduate and postgraduate examination centers across the country to adopt signal jammer technology to reduce misconduct during the examination process. According to the circular, the "Classroom Jammer Model EC-CRJ-6B5" developed by M/s ECIL has passed laboratory and field tests and has been approved by the UGC. The circular specifically pointed out that the deployment of jammer devices should fully consider the location and signal strength of surrounding base stations to ensure that the jammer blockers only affect the signals in the examination room and avoid inconvenience to public communications.
Practical operation and considerations of signal jammer device use
According to the requirements of UGC, the coverage of signal blocker devices should be strictly controlled within 100 meters of the examination room, and should be ensured to be 100 meters away from any base transceiver station (BTS) to avoid interfering with communications outside the examination center. UGC recommends that each examination center test the effect of signal blockers before the examination to ensure its effectiveness in the actual environment. The UGC notice clearly stated: "The effectiveness of cell jammers is affected by many factors, including the power output of the device, the signal strength of the base station, the sensitivity of the receiver, the terrain and the line of sight conditions."
Professor KR Venugopal, Vice Chancellor of Bangalore University, said that although the use of mobile phones is prohibited in the examination center, cheating is still rampant, and many students try to evade proctoring through mobile phones and other electronic devices. With the rapid development of technology, traditional proctoring methods have been difficult to completely curb these behaviors, so the introduction of phone signal blockers is particularly necessary. Professor Venugopal added: "We will adjust the power of the blockers to ensure that residents outside the examination room will not be disturbed." He further explained that the deployment of phone signal jammers will be concentrated inside the examination room to achieve anti-cheating functions with the lowest power, thereby ensuring that signal interference is limited to the necessary examination area.
The positive significance of jammer deployment
- Introducing mobile signal jammer technology in the academic examination environment is not only an innovative measure to maintain the fairness of the examination, but also an important exploration for colleges and universities to strengthen the construction of integrity. By preventing the use of electronic devices, jammers can effectively curb students' cheating behavior using smartphones and other digital devices. This technical means provides a powerful supplement to the traditional proctoring method, ensuring that candidates participate in the examination in a fair and just environment.
- Bangalore University took the lead in applying jammer blockers, setting an example for universities in Karnataka and even in India. This move will help promote other educational institutions to refer to and learn from it, so as to jointly improve the transparency of examination management. At the same time, the power of the jammer is precisely controlled to ensure that the signal interference is limited to the examination room and does not affect the normal communication of surrounding residents, so as to achieve a balance between scientific and technological means and public interests.
- The deployment of jammer blockers can not only improve the safety of the examination process, but also show that educational institutions are willing to use modern technology to solve the challenges faced in traditional management. This measure will provide strong support for colleges and universities across the country to optimize the examination environment, combat cheating, and enhance academic integrity, and help improve the quality of education in Indian universities.
Notify affiliated institutions and promote widespread implementation
To ensure the effective use of phone signal jamming equipments, Bangalore University has notified its affiliated institutions and colleges, advising them to deploy signal jammer devices in their respective examination centers as soon as possible. UGC also recommends that schools conduct sufficient testing before installing jammers to reduce potential signal interference problems. According to the Indian government's signal blocker policy, schools and related institutions need to obtain prior ministerial approval to ensure the legal deployment and reasonable use of jamming devices.
