Police said the recovered devices were being scanned to learn the identities of others involved in the scam. (Getty Images)
It is suspected that CSIR-NET candidates shared system access rights with the “solver” sitting outside the examination center through the remote sharing software Any Desk. The UT STF said the names of 11 candidates were on the mobile phones recovered from the arrested TCS employees. Subati University denies any wrongdoing and says the lab has been leased to TCS
Uttar Pradesh police busted a remote rigging racket and arrested three Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) employees during a CSIR-NET inspection following a raid at Subhadi University in Meerut district. According to reports, the names and IP addresses of 11 candidates were on the mobile phones seized from the three people, while the two laptops seized showed that Any Desk can remotely access the exam center. While the CSIR-NET examination is conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), TCS is its technology facilitator.
“Following a tip-off about cheating in the CSIR-NET exam, a raid was conducted at Subhadi University in Meerut on Friday. Our investigation revealed that the server of the computer lab where the exam was held was compromised. In search During the process, the team discovered an additional computer, which was connected to the inspection laboratory through a local area network (LAN),” said Amitabh Yash, director, UP STF and ADG Law and Order, UP Police.
Yash added that the two laptops in the server room can be accessed remotely through Any Desk. “We arrested three TCS employees and recovered mobile phones from their possession. While scanning the recovered mobile phones, the team found the names of 11 applicants along with their IP addresses.
It is suspected that candidates are sharing system access with a “solver” sitting outside the test center through Any Desk, a remote desktop software that allows users to access and control devices from anywhere, just as if they were using the device locally. The equipment is the same.
The arrested TCS employees are Arun Sharma and Mohammed Usman, while the name of the third arrested person is yet to be released. Police said the devices recovered from them were being scanned to learn the identities of others involved in the scam.
Subati University distanced itself from the alleged manipulation and said it had leased its laboratory to TCS. “We have leased the laboratory to TCS for conducting the examinations. The entire responsibility of conducting the examinations lies with TCS and therefore the university has nothing to do with the manipulation.
In a separate statement, the university said it came to know about the alleged manipulation when the UP STF raided the laboratory at 11 am on Friday. “Subhuti University has nothing to do with the exams. The online exam center has been leased to TCS. The tests are run by the institution's servers and its staff. Our university has been closed following the ongoing Kanwar Yatra in the area, so our work No one was present.
The university administration said TCS had conducted mock tests the day before, formatted all systems and installed its own software, after which the lab was locked.
The CSIR-NET exam will be held in two batches on Friday. The first batch was from 9 am to 12 noon, during which the STF team conducted raids on the university and seized the servers. Sources said the second batch of events was held between 3 pm and 6 pm using another server ordered by STF from TCS.
It is understood that National Examinations Director General Pradeep Kharola arrived at the exam center with his team on Friday afternoon after receiving information about the alleged cheating. When News18 contacted his office for comment, there was no response.
This is the second time that CSIR-NET is being held this year to determine the eligibility for the posts of Junior Researcher and Assistant Professor in universities in scientific disciplines after the last one was canceled due to reports of paper leaks. The exam is organized by NTA and is scheduled to be held in various cities on July 25 and July 27.
