UP STUDENTS PASS WITH ‘JAI SHREE RAM' ON ANSWER SHEETS, ACTION AGAINST PROFESSORS

A recent incident at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, a state university in Uttar Pradesh's Jaunpur, has sparked controversy and led to the dismissal of two professors after students allegedly passed exams by writing "Jai Shri Ram" and cricketers' names in their answer sheets.

The event came to light when Divyanshu Singh, a former student, filed an RTI on August 3 last year, seeking a re-evaluation of the answer sheets of 18 first-year pharmacy course students by providing their roll numbers.

Singh alleged that professors had accepted bribes to pass the students. He filed a formal complaint supported by an affidavit, submitting evidence to Raj Bhavan.

The evidence highlighted discrepancies in the examination process, and it was discovered that students who had written slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" and names of cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, among others, on their answer sheets were inexplicably awarded passing grades or over 50 percent marks.

Upon receiving the student's complaint letter and affidavit, Raj Bhavan took prompt action, ordering an investigation on December 21, 2023. In response, the university administration convened an enquiry committee to address the matter. External evaluation of the answer sheets was conducted by a scrutiny committee, revealing discrepancies where students were awarded 0 and 4 marks, respectively.

Vice Chancellor Vandana Singh, in an interview with UP Tak confirmed that the recommendation to dismiss two professors involved in the erroneous evaluation process had been made.

Notably, irregularities were identified during the assessment of special bank copies, resulting in significant variations in marks upon re-evaluation. Correspondence regarding these findings is set to be forwarded to the Raj Bhavan for further action.

In light of the allegations, disciplinary measures are imminent for the implicated professors. The university administration is set to recommend action against Professor Vinay Verma and Professor Ashish Gupta.

Professor Vinay Verma, who has previously faced accusations, was also linked to an incident involving the removal of a mobile phone with cash during an examination, resulting in his removal from administrative duties.

The university now awaits the governor's directive to proceed with the final steps of their dismissal.

(With inputs from Aditya Prakash Bhardwaj)

2024-04-26T14:47:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd