Channi Exam Photo Row: Panjab University Says Image Was Taken From Outside Hall

A newspaper photograph of former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi appearing for an MA Public Administration examination at Panjab University has triggered a controversy over exam security.

According to The Indian Express, the university’s Controller of Examinations, Professor Jagat Bhushan, said on Monday that the photograph was taken from outside the examination hall and that no security boundary inside the venue was breached.

What Did The University Say?

The photograph showed Channi taking his examination on August 20. According to The Indian Express, former Chandigarh mayor and Panjab University senate and syndicate member Davesh Moudgil questioned how the picture was taken and whether any prohibited electronic device had been used inside the examination venue.

Bhushan said the university did not have CCTV cameras installed in the particular examination hall where Channi appeared for the test. He said the university was in the process of procuring surveillance systems for its examination venues.

“I came to know about the photograph from the newspapers. The process for procuring CCTV cameras is on, and I will check the progress of the same,” Bhushan said.

He added that the university could control activity inside the examination hall but not outside it.

Moudgil Seeks Action, Channi Rejects Controversy

Moudgil has demanded that the university initiate an unfair means case against Channi, cancel his examination and debar him if any examination rules were violated. He also sought CCTV footage and details related to Channi’s appearance in the examination.

Moudgil later met Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Monday and raised the issue. He said Kataria assured him that the matter would be examined and an inquiry conducted.

Channi, however, dismissed the controversy as unnecessary. He told The Indian Express that he had not taken a selfie and questioned why an issue was being created if the photograph had been taken by a press photographer from outside the examination hall.

Channi also said examination halls should have CCTV surveillance to ensure transparency and security.

Questions Over Exam Security

The controversy has brought renewed attention to security arrangements at Panjab University examination venues.

Moudgil questioned how an important university examination could be conducted without CCTV surveillance, arguing that the absence of an independent visual record made it difficult to establish what happened inside the hall.

With the university confirming that no CCTV footage is available from the examination hall, authorities will have to rely on other records and information as they examine the circumstances surrounding the photograph and whether any examination rules were violated.