Bengaluru: There is no denying the fact that cheating in exams is rampant in Indian schools and colleges. Also Read - China sentences 6 in graduate exam cheating scheme

However, Karnataka’s Bhagat Pre-University College resorted to a rather weird solution to dissuade students from cheating. While writing the exam, the college made students wear cardboard boxes on their heads with a hole cut out in the front for their faces, so that they cannot peep in others’ answer sheets. Also Read - Online exam cheating gang busted; 4 arrested

The students were writing papers in economics and chemistry subjects as part of the mid-term exams, conducted in their classroom. The move came after many instances of cheating were reported during last year’s exams.

As soon as the pictures went viral, citizens slammed the college administration for such a bizarre act. And of course, there were memes too.

This is not the right thing to do. This means the students were not taught in an ideal way. The teachers are to blame. — Shibi Payamal (@ShibiPayamal) October 18, 2019

What nonsense…looks suffocating too.. — Live Eat Love (@muskurana123) October 18, 2019

This is ridiculous and humiliating for the students. Yes, cheating is a problem, but this is not the way to solve it. Whoever approved this should be reprimanded. — Hindu Americans (@HinduAmericans) October 18, 2019

Reacting to the incident, state Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar in a tweet, said that such an attempt was not acceptable.

This is totally unacceptable. Nobody has any right to treat anybody more so students like animals. This pervertion will be dealt with aptly. https://t.co/y69J0XcTA6 — S.Suresh Kumar, Minister – Govt of Karnataka (@nimmasuresh) October 18, 2019

Seeking an explanation about the incident, the state government immediately issued a notice to the college and threatened to cancel the license if such an act is repeated.

Meanwhile, defending the preventive action, college head M.B. Satish said that a college in Bihar had used a similar system and received wide appreciation on social media.

“We tried to see how it works as a trial and told the students in advance that boxes would be given to each of them to wear before writing the exam”, he said.