Pune, 23rd May 2026: The examination department of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has once again come under criticism over alleged negligence and confusion in question paper preparation.
Just days after a controversy over a 'copy-paste' mistake in another 100-mark examination paper, a fresh issue has surfaced in the Diploma in Taxation Law (DTL) examination.
The controversy erupted during the Income Tax examination conducted on Saturday for the one-year postgraduate diploma course based on the revised 2005 syllabus pattern.
Students were surprised to find the words 'Semester One' printed on the question paper, even though the DTL program does not follow a semester system.
The confusion did not end there. The Income Tax subject, which is generally based on taxation calculations, practical case studies and problem-solving, reportedly contained only theoretical questions in the entire 100-mark paper.
Students expressed disappointment over the absence of practical problems, which are considered a core part of such commerce-related examinations.
“Mentioning ‘Semester One’ in a postgraduate diploma course that does not even follow a semester pattern is a serious mistake. It is equally surprising that a 100-mark Income Tax paper did not contain a single practical problem. The Vice-Chancellor should personally investigate the matter and take appropriate action,” said academic expert Prof. Subhash Shahane.
“One look at the paper mentioning ‘Semester One’ created panic among students. For a moment, we wondered whether there was another semester in the course that we had somehow not been informed about,” said a student who appeared for the examination.
“The typing mistakes and other errors in the question paper will be verified, and necessary action will be taken after an inquiry,” said Dr. Rajendra Talware, Director of the Board of Examinations and Evaluation at the university.