To bring greater transparency and accountability to semester examinations, the Lucknow University administration has expanded the role of flying squads by involving faculty members from across all departments, replacing the earlier system where surprise checks were largely carried out by members of the proctorial board and teachers from affiliated degree colleges.

The university is currently conducting semester examinations at 290 centres, with around eight flying squads comprising 24 faculty members deployed daily on a random basis. (File)

Vice-chancellor Prof JP Saini said each flying squad now comprises one professor, one associate professor and one assistant professor drawn from different departments. “Faculty members are informed only the previous evening to report to the proctor office early next morning, where they are randomly assigned centres. This ensures unpredictability and builds a sense of responsibility and belongingness among teachers,” he said.

The university is currently conducting semester examinations at 290 centres, with around eight flying squads comprising 24 faculty members deployed daily on a random basis. “The flying squads are sent on a random basis and due to the involvement of only faculty members of the university, transparency is more evident in the semester exams,” Saini added.

The administration has also tightened leave rules during the examination period. Faculty members seeking leave must now obtain approval directly from the vice-chancellor’s office to ensure no one skips flying squad duty and that all teachers participate in the monitoring process.

The move marks a shift from a select-group vigilance model to one involving the wider academic community. By involving professors across ranks and departments, the university aims to curb malpractices and ensure standardised monitoring at all 290 centres. The vice-chancellor said that the randomised, cross-departmental composition of squads would deter unfair means and lead to better examination monitoring.