New Delhi, Feb. 10: The University Grants Commission today advised all colleges and universities to install jammers in examination halls to prevent copying.

The move comes months after the All India Pre-Medical Test had to be cancelled following reports of malpractice during the exam.

In letters to vice-chancellors across the country, UGC secretary J.S. Sandhu referred to the jammer policy the Centre worked out last year to curb unfair means at exam centres.

"It may be noted that the statutory examination conducting bodies have been permitted to deploy low-powered jammers in examination halls in order to prevent unfair means used through radio frequency-based devices by examinees," Sandhu's letter said.

Sources said the UGC also directed the colleges and universities to get jammers from authorised sources after the cabinet secretariat raised concerns about their procurement. According to the sources, some exam-conducting bodies had been using jammers provided by private vendors.

The Centre's policy allows bodies conducting tests to hire "low-frequency jammers" on a rental basis from the government-run Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd.

In a letter to UGC chairman Ved Prakash last month, Arti Bhatnagar, a joint secretary in the cabinet secretariat, had said prior permission of the secretariat was required for using jammers.

After the medical exam was cancelled last year, the Central Board of Secondary Education, which conducts the test, had used jammers in select centres. During the exam, held last May, some candidates were caught using Bluetooth and earphones to communicate with handlers outside.

They were found leaking questions and getting the answers through earphones. The test was cancelled by the Supreme Court.