Nagpur: The State government on Thursday hinted that it may file a criminal complaint against the former vice-chancellor of Mumbai University, Sanjay Deshmukh, and M/s MeritTrac Services Pvt Ltd, the company which was assigned the task of implementing the online marking system (OMS) for evaluating answer sheets.
Replying to a calling attention motion in the Assembly, Education Minister Vinod Tawde said a three-member committee formed to probe the matter will soon submit its report.
Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil asked whether the ex-VC will face criminal complaint for the fiasco endangering the careers of lakhs of students.
The committee consists of the principal secretary (IT), and a professor of VJTI, and IITB. “Based on the report of the committee, criminal complaints can be filed against anyone found guilty,” Mr. Tawde said.
Earlier, Minister of State for Higher Education, Ravindra Waikar, accepted that the decision to appoint the firm was taken without even consulting the academic and management councils of the university. “As per the facts in front of us, no agreement was signed before the work order was issued and this is undoubtedly is a problem.” Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar questioned whether the government had laid down a standard operating procedure for online assessment of answer sheets which was followed by the university.
Mr. Waikar said that the online assessment was recommended by the Rajesh Aggarwal committee in 2013. “But the VC pushed the tender process for OMS without even consulting the academic and management councils.”
Among the technical problems encountered by the company while checking the answer sheets were delays in uploading of answer books, no tagging to teachers for checking, and tagging answer sheets to wrong teachers.
All examinations had been conducted by April 2017, but the declaration went on till as late as October. The Governor had to intervene and seek a report from the VC. Students’ organisations launched agitations against the university demanding declaration of results. Following the Governor’s order to the Education department, a report blaming the VC for the mess was submitted.
