Use of mini photocopies to cheat in exams on the rise; shops to face action

Chennai: Flying squads and exam invigilators are on high alert this year, watching for a growing menace — miniature photocopies of answers smuggled into examination halls by students. To curb the practice, director of govt examinations K Sasikala has instructed all chief education officers to identify photocopy shops near schools and examination centres engaging in such practices and to report them to the police."While we report students for malpractice, shop owners must also be held accountable. They should show some moral restraint and avoid selling such material to children, especially during exams," Sasikala told TOI. Teachers say the tiny cutouts — just 2cm to 5cm long — are hard to detect, often hidden in pockets or pinned to belts. Custom photocopy machines can shrink pages by 20% or more, making the print almost invisible at a glance. "It costs just 5. Students find it easy and cheap. They no longer write answers on scraps of paper — they just reduce the printed version," a headmaster said.School heads said that the practice often begins during revision exams. The directorate of govt examinations officials noted that such malpractices were most frequently reported from centres in Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tiruvarur, and Tuticorin.In Chennai and its suburbs, however, no such cases were recorded until now. City chief educational officer M Kabir said circulars have been sent to all exam centres directing heads to crack down on photocopy shops. "Students often frequent these shops. We want to ensure that none of them resorts to malpractice," he said. The directive has drawn mixed reactions from school administrators. "Now, instead of focusing on students, we're expected to coordinate with chief educational officers to act against shops," said another headmaster. "No one acts when stores sell cigarettes near schools, but action is swift when it comes to photocopies," he said.