Would-be MBA students getting ready to take the GMAT might be in for a little surprise when they show up at the testing center. In addition to all the usual security measures—including video monitoring and the computer adaptive test itself—test takers will soon be asked to submit to a new one: a biometric device that uses an infared light to capture the test-taker’s unique “palm vein pattern.”

Pearson VUE, the company that administers the GMAT for the Graduate Management Admission Council, plans to announce the new security effort tomorrow, but BusinessWeek got a sneak peak at it today.

The Fujitsu “PalmSecure” device will be rolled out next month at 16 testing centers in India and Korea for GMAT candidates. It goes live in the U.S. this fall, and when fully deployed will be used in 400 facilities in 107 countries by May 2009.

The announcement comes as the b-school world is embroiled in a cheating scandal involving the GMAT–users of a now-defunct test prep Web site, Scoretop.com, have been accused by GMAC of using it to post and access live test questions, and GMAC has said it will cancel the test scores of anyone who violated its rules.

But the new security measure is designed to stop a different kind of cheating–the use of professional test takers, or proxies, to take the exam on behalf of someone else. GMAC’s been burned by this type of cheater before. Back in 2003, it busted a half dozen people who took the GMAT for others for about $5,000 a pop. GMAC canceled 166 scores as a result, and five of the six imposters ended up at Rikers.

More : businessweek.com

The Department of Visual Communication, J.J. College of Arts and Science, Pudukottai, organised a `film appreciation session’ at the viewing hall of the college recently.

R. Seshadri Rajan, Educational Multimedia Research Centre, Madurai Kamaraj University, was the chief guest and he exquisitely navigated the session. Two great pieces namely `Bicycle Thieves’ directed by Vittoria De Sica and `Pather Panchali’ directed by Satyajit Ray, were screened on the occasion.

Mr. Rajan explained how to read, conceive and review a film. He also dilated on the idea of categorising the genres of films.

For a question raised by a student into what genre the films Pather Panchali and Bicycle Thieves, he delineated the difference realistic film and neo realistic films. He also added that both were the best examples for neo-realistic films. The Head of the Department of Visual Communication of the College, S. Parthasarathy also spoke.

On behalf of the Department of Biotechnology, the BIBS Association of the Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Arts and Science (women), Perambalur, conducted a State-level seminar on `Biotechnology: prospects and retrospect’. The Reader, Department of Microbiology, National Facility for Marine-Cyanobacteria, Bharathidasan University, N. Thajuddin, in his inaugural address spoke about the importance of micro algal Biotechnology referring the uses of algae, need for SCP and the efficiency of Spirullina’. The department magazine `Acmetech 05′ was released by the Director, The Rapinat Herbarium and Centre for Molecular Systematics, St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi and Dr. Thajuddin received the first copy.

In the sessions that followed, Dr. John Britto, spoke on `Ethical issues in biotechnology’ when he referred to the probable effect of Biotechnology, the ethical and social impact of Biotechnology and the human therapeutic cloning. Scientist from the Botanical Survey of India, Southern Circle, Yercaud, S. Kaliamoorthy, spoke on the `recent trends in plant tissue culture’ and the Professor and Head, Department of Biotechnology, Mahendra College of Arts and Science, Namakkal, spoke on `Opportunities in Biotechnology.

The Dean, Faculty of Life Science of the college, S. Sankaran delivered the valedictory address and the Principal, R. M. Meenakshi presided.

The Department of Management Studies of the Thanthai Hans Roever College, Perambalur, organised the second activity week 2005 recently, when experts from different fields gave guest lectures. Rajendran, lecturer, Department of Social Work, delivered a lecture `Mental health and management’.

The senior manager, Madras Cements Limited, S. N. M. Suri spoke on the `Need for human resources: accounting and auditing’ in the present day scenario and elaborated the potential of HRs in running a successful show.

Mr. Senthilnathan, an advocate, delivered an awareness lecture on legal aspects concerning consumerism and management, Senior Manager, accounts, Madras Cements Limited, Sridhar emphasised the existing accounting practices being followed in leading industries during his special lecture and R. Victor Lazarus of Southern Railway spoke on `essentials of communication and personality development.

More than 130 research papers were presented and 250 participants deliberated in the four technical sessions at the three-day 12th annual session of the Tamil Nadu History Congress held at A.V.C. College at Mayiladuturai in Nagapattinam district organised by the Department of History of the college recently.