SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) on Sunday cancelled the M.Sc Nursing Entrance Examination across the Union Territory after a critical mismatch was detected in candidate-specific OMR answer sheets shortly before the test was scheduled to begin.
The cancellation affected 513 candidates, including 348 in Srinagar and 165 in Jammu, causing inconvenience to aspirants who had travelled from various districts to appear in the examination.
A senior JKBOPEE official said that the discrepancy came to light during the mandatory pre-examination verification process.
“Under established examination protocols, sealed examination material is opened 10 minutes before the commencement of the test in the presence of supervisory staff, observers and student representatives. During this process, a significant mismatch was detected in the candidate-specific OMR answer sheets,” the official said.
Confirming the development, JKBOPEE Chairperson Prof. Meenu Mahajan said the biographical details printed on the answer sheets did not match the candidates concerned.
“When the answer sheets were opened, there was a mismatch between the student’s roll number and name. An answer sheet is always candidate-specific, carrying the candidate’s name, roll number and photograph to ensure authenticity. The issue occurred at the printing stage,” she said.
Prof. Mahajan said the Board decided to cancel the examination to safeguard the integrity of the evaluation process and the merit list.
“To avoid any discrepancies in the final assessment and to preserve the sanctity of the common merit list, the examination had to be cancelled,” she said.
She added that, as a common merit list is prepared for the entire Union Territory, the examination could not be conducted selectively and therefore had to be cancelled simultaneously at all centres.
The sudden cancellation left many candidates distressed, particularly those who had travelled long distances from remote parts of Jammu and Kashmir to reach examination centres in Srinagar and Jammu.
Acknowledging the inconvenience caused, the JKBOPEE Chairperson personally interacted with candidates at the SP College examination centre in Srinagar and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
“I understand that students have suffered physical, financial and emotional hardship due to the cancellation, including travel expenses and the effort invested in preparing for the examination,” she said.
When asked about accountability for the lapse and the possibility of an investigation, Prof. Mahajan said a formal inquiry would be initiated immediately after her return to the Board headquarters.
JKBOPEE is expected to issue a separate notification announcing fresh examination dates after completing its assessment of the printing error and related procedural issues. (KDC)
