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The six Indian Institute of Management have constituted internal enquiries at their respective institutes to find out if there were any loopholes in the entire process of setting the papers for the common admission test, right up to the printing stage.
The needle of suspicion for the CAT question paper leakage, however, points to the printing press in Mumbai.
In another development on Monday, at a meeting of the directors of the six IIMs, a decision was taken to hold a meeting of the chairmen of all the six IIMs admission committees on Tuesday.
Later, another meeting of all the six directors, to finalise the date and modalities of the new CAT, will be held in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. It has been learnt that the exams may be held early so that the new term can start from last week of June 2004, which is the usual time of starting a new batch.
"Internal enquiries have been initiated at all the six IIMs late on Sunday to once again cross-check whether there was any loophole in our own systems. The enquiry at IIM-A is already over and we are sure that there was no loophole or no involvement from our institute in the question paper leak. I also strongly believe the same result will be repeated following enquiries at other IIMs, which are expected to be over by Tuesday morning," Bakul Dholakia, director of IIM-A, told Business Standard on Monday evening.
"We also have received a formal communication from the Central Bureau of Investigation asking us to furnish certain information on the process which involves sending the final format of question paper to the printing press and we hope to clarify and explain everything by Tuesday," he said.
Dholakia, who held a more than three-hour meeting with the dean and faculty members on Monday afternoon, also said that the logistics for a retest will be worked out during a meeting of the chairman of all six admission committees.
"We will announce the retest date after our meeting on Wednesday but at this moment I can only say that we will ensure the usual calendar of session which like previous years, should start last week of next June," he said.
"On the contrary to the idea that this year IIM-A had set the CAT questions, I will like to mention that the question papers are set and finalised by a group of people, known as CAT Group in which IIM-A is also an associate like other IIMs and this time, we were responsible for sending the final question paper to the press in Mumbai where questions are being printed since more than five years.
"IIM-A in discussion with other IIMs is trying to expedite the process of a retest which was formally decided on Monday morning after all six Directors in consultation with their faculties have decided to do so," said Dholakia.
Prakash Apte, director of IIM-Bangalore, who also had held a meeting with his faculty members, said, "We are going to review the whole process of setting question papers and printing which are part of the agenda of Wednesday's Directors' meeting in Ahmedabad. But one thing is clear that IIMs will certainly retain CAT and its design and planning."
Shekhar Choudhury, director of IIM-Kolkata, who also held similar meeting at his office Monday afternoon, and Dinesh Kumar, professor of IIM-C and also chairman of the admission committee, will take part in the meeting at IIM-A on Tuesday.
"I am unable to comment further on the issue now till the directors meet in Ahmedabad," Choudhury said.
Meanwhile, S Mohanty, the official spokesperson of CBI in New Delhi, told Business Standard over the phone that CBI sleuths are yet to talk to the printing press officials in Mumbai and others involved in the process, including IIMs' top brass.
"I can only say that during the course of investigation, if requires we will ask for information from everyone concerned and how will we proceed will only be decided once we finish grilling the arrested," Mohanty said.