The governor had also sought ‘at the earliest’ a factual report on the issue of switching to onscreen assessment. (Representational)
Even as results of 13 subjects taught at the University of Mumbai are yet to be announced due to an unprecedented delay in declaring the results of the final-year undergraduate and postgraduate exams, it has emerged that the varsity ignored red flags raised by no less than the office of university chancellor and Governor of Maharashtra, Ch Vidyasagar Rao.
The chancellor’s office had anticipated a delay in results owing to the university’s decision to adopt an onscreen assessment process that would involve a time-consuming scanning of over 18 lakh answersheets. At least a week before the university appointed the agency which eventually implemented the new system, the chancellor’s office wrote to Vice-Chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh, highlighting the possibility of a delay on account of the ambitious new idea.
The governor had also sought ‘at the earliest’ a factual report on the issue of switching to onscreen assessment, the appointment of an agency and the delay in the assessment, according to students who were suspected to have skipped the exam in the state.
“We wanted a fair inquiry, which is why the committee members were not from within the NIOS system. They submitted their findings about 20 days ago, based on which I have recommended a proper investigation,” said Sharma.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a press conference on the issue in Bhopal on Friday. The party alleged that as many as 1,200 candidates from the state were absent on the day of the exam, and yet they were declared as passed. Party leaders also shared the attendance sheet of candidates who were enrolled at the NIOS centres in Ratlam, Umaria and Sehore to prove that a majority of examinees did not appear for the exam.
According to documents shared by AAP’s state convenor Alok Agarwal, out of the 693 candidates who were supposed to sit for the exam in Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sagod, only 19 appeared. Yet, when the results were declared, everybody was shown as having passed. Similarly, 351 candidates meant to take the exam at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Sehore, and 175 candidates at Navodaya Vidyalaya, Umaria, were absent, but declared passed.
Agrawal demanded that the government should set up a special investigation team to probe irregularities at all NIOS centres in Madhya Pradesh.
