New Delhi, April 24, 2026: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences cancelled an MBBS mid-semester examination after an alleged cheating incident involving a hidden mobile phone and artificial intelligence tools was uncovered.
The issue surfaced during a biochemistry examination, when invigilators noticed an unusual trend. Several students were repeatedly asking for permission to visit the washroom during the exam. As the number of such requests increased, faculty members grew suspicious of a possible pattern rather than isolated cases.
Acting on this suspicion, authorities conducted a check of the washroom facilities. During the inspection, they discovered a mobile phone hidden inside the restroom, which had allegedly been placed there before the examination began.
Initial findings suggest that students used a coordinated method to access the device. One by one, they reportedly went to the washroom and used the phone to assist with answering questions from the exam paper.
According to reports, the process involved:
Uploading or entering exam questions into the device
Using AI-based tools such as ChatGPT
Receiving answers in real time and returning to the exam hall
This approach effectively allowed students to bypass direct surveillance inside the examination hall. The washroom, an area typically outside strict monitoring, became a point of access for digital assistance.
According to a report by NDTV around 50 to 60 students may have attempted to use this method during the examination, indicating that the activity may not have been limited to a single individual.
Following the discovery, the AIIMS administration took immediate action by cancelling the examination and announcing that a re-test would be conducted.
Dr. Reema Dada, media in-charge at AIIMS, confirmed the development. She stated that a mobile phone had been left in the washroom by a student and was subsequently accessed by others during the exam. Once the situation was identified, the administration was informed and acted promptly to ensure fairness in the evaluation process.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation regarding strict punitive measures against the students allegedly involved in the incident.
The concern is not isolated. In a separate incident at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a second-year MBBS student was reportedly caught attempting to carry a mobile phone hidden inside footwear during an examination. That case led to disciplinary action and further scrutiny of exam protocols.
(Rh/ARC)
