Hungry Rats Eat Ungraded University Exams

Proctoring and grading exams is serious business, no matter where in the world you reside. It’s such a crucial affair in Nepal, in fact, that police officers are sometimes hired to safeguard them. Sounds simple enough, right?

Tell that to the officers of Kirtipur, who accidentally let a recent batch of University exams be devoured by a hungry gang of mischievous rats. It sounds like an excuse that a desperate teenager who didn’t do his homework might employ, but it really did happen.

This story begins at Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, Nepal. After proctoring a batch of student exams, Tribhuvan University officials passed them onto local Kirtpur police officers for safekeeping. The officers, upon returning to their headquarters, tossed the important exam papers into a dingy basement cellar that, according to the Rising Nepal newspaper, has a leaking water pipe.

All was well until 2-1/2 months later when, during a station inspection, the officers discovered that most of the exams had been torn apart, with ripped and bitten shreds lying all across the room. Apparently, the exams were the victim of a recent rat attack.

So now the question remains: who is to blame for this incident?

According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, police inspector Ram Prakash Chaudhary faults the University. He said, “We kept the answer papers in a secure room, but a few days ago we discovered that some of them had been eaten by rats. We told the university officials about the problem straight away. But they only came to pick up the papers today, after the news came out.”

The University has yet to provide an official rebuttal, but on behalf of the world, one wonders how a mere few days would have made a difference. The bottom line is that the police, who were hired to safeguard the exams, should be held responsible for all damages incurred.

However, the Rising Nepal newspaper disagrees, as they accused Tribhuvan University of “utter negligence.”

Regardless, the Tribhuvan University students are the one and only real victims, as they must now retake their exams.