The Punjab Governor, in his capacity as Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, has assigned the officiating charge of the Vice-Chancellor to Manjit Singh Brar, Secretary, Department of Medical Education and Research, Punjab.
The appointment has been made through a notification issued by the Governor's Secretariat under Section 14(6) of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Act, 1998. Brar will hold the additional charge of Vice-Chancellor alongside his existing responsibilities without any honorarium until a regular Vice-Chancellor is appointed.
Appointment comes amid ongoing BFUHS examination probe
The administrative development comes at a time when Baba Farid University of Health Sciences is under heightened public scrutiny following an alleged organised cheating racket uncovered during the Pharmacy Officer recruitment examination conducted earlier this month.
Punjab Police has alleged that the cheating operation involved the use of sophisticated electronic devices. According to investigators, several candidates were found using miniature Bluetooth earpieces concealed inside socks, turbans and undergarments to receive answers during the examination.
The investigation further alleges that one of the candidates used a concealed pen camera to capture images of the question paper after it had been distributed inside the examination hall. Police claim the images were transmitted to individuals outside the examination centre, who solved the questions and relayed the answers back to candidates through Bluetooth-enabled communication devices.
The recruitment examination was conducted for 454 Pharmacy Officer posts, with nearly 7,000 candidates appearing at examination centres in Faridkot, Kotkapura and Ferozepur.
No evidence of pre-exam paper leak
Punjab Police has clarified that, based on the investigation conducted so far, there is no evidence to suggest that the question paper was leaked before the examination commenced.
Investigators have maintained that the alleged malpractice involved the transmission of the question paper only after candidates had received it inside the examination hall. As a result, the case is being investigated as one of organised electronic cheating rather than a conventional pre-examination paper leak.
So far, Punjab Police has arrested 35 accused, including candidates and alleged members of the cheating syndicate. During the investigation, officers have recovered several electronic devices, including miniature Bluetooth earpieces, communication equipment and other digital gadgets allegedly used in the operation.
Governor's notification makes no reference to the examination probe
The Governor's notification assigning the officiating charge of Vice-Chancellor does not mention the ongoing examination investigation or attribute any responsibility to the university administration. The appointment has been made under the statutory provisions governing the university to ensure continuity in its administration until a regular Vice-Chancellor is appointed.
However, the development coincides with increased public attention on the university's examination and recruitment processes following the alleged high-tech cheating case. With Manjit Singh Brar taking over the additional charge, the focus is expected to remain on strengthening examination security, ensuring transparency in recruitment processes and supporting the ongoing investigation aimed at maintaining the integrity of the state's healthcare education system.