The final examinations at Delhi University have begun and the authorities have introduced the invigilators to `novel ways of cheating' so that the students who want to cheat have a tough time. Dean of Students' Welfare Prof A K Sinha said: ``The invigilators have been asked to keep an eye on the stationery that the students carry. Often, the students scribble notes on them. We have learnt a lot from the 400 odd cases detected last year.''

Last year, they, for instance, detected a case where a science undergraduate student had scribbled notes on the writing board that he carried with him. The writing was visible only from one angle. When viewed otherwise, all that one could make out was a green patch on the writing board. Says Sinha: ``We could detect the case only by chance. When I was examining the board, I happened to view it from that specific angle. Had I missed that angle, the act of cheating would not have been proved.''

Invigilators have also been instructed to check handkerchiefs of students that are kept folded neatly on the desks. ``Though the handkerchief may be a harmless little thing all of us carry, many students use it as a convenient tool for cheating,'' an invigilator said. ``Last year, I caught a student from the School of Correspondence Studies writing notes from the inside of a handkerchief. The kerchief looked brand new. She had kept it neatly folded on the desk.'' This time round, the professors will check handkerchiefs, backside of rulers, the inside of a dot pen and even the sides of the pencil box. However, they are not permitted to physically check examinees unless they suspect that the student is carrying chits.