Students paid Rs 900 to peons per answer book

Vadodara: Students of first, second and third year of M S University’s Faculty of Arts, used to pay Rs 800 to Rs 900 for each answer sheet that they brought of the central assessment cell in connivance with the peons.
A day after co-ordinator of central assessment cell of Faculty of Arts Pratapchandran S submitted an application to the Sayajigunj police to register a complaint against two peons – Chirag Gangaram and Ankit Fanse – who pilfered the answer books from the cell and replaced back with the others when they were filled, it has come to light that the number of such replaced answer sheets is higher.
On Thursday, the university was aware about 21 such answer sheets which the staffers had noticed to be either folded or crumpled in the bundles. But as the university started its in-house investigation, the number of such answer sheets rose to 28. At least 21 students are involved in this scandal which has shamed the famed faculty.
TOI has also learnt that most of the students whose answer books were pilfered by the peons were inmates of M M Hall and M A Hall. Most of these students have their links to the notorious ‘Bapu’ and ‘Bihari’ Groups which are already infamous for their involvement in ruckus and fights in the Halls of Residence.
The peons are hired on daily wages to assist the staffers during exam assessment period from the chawl located behind the university hostel campus and near to the university head office where the central assessment is carried out after exams get over. These hostel students who developed a nexus with the boys from the chawl hatched the conspiracy.
While the university has terminated all the three peons, it has also decided to terminate services of ten other persons, who reside in the chawl and were hired for temporary works in different departments of the university head office.
Results of 21 students to be withheld
Vadodara: On Friday, university appointed a probe committee with dean of Faculty of Arts professor K Krishnan as convenor.
“Results of all these students will not be declared till we receive a complete report from the committee. They will not be given admission in any other branch,” said MSU’s in-charge registrar N K Ojha. “Also, we will be issuing a circular to all the universities in the country informing them the involvement of these students so that they do not get admission elsewhere,” said Ojha.
“We are also planning to shift the central assessment work to the Institute of Policy Research and International Studies building at the Pratapsinhrao Gaekwad Parisar as it has only one exit and entry and we can have a total control of the activities,” he said. MSU vice-chancellor professor Parimal Vyas conducted a meeting with all the coordinators of evaluation cells to take precautions while the assessment is carried out.
Nexus might be older
Vadodara: The nexus between hostel students and boys from the chawl, who are hired on daily wages at the examination section of MSU head office, might be going on since a long time.
Sources said that last year a strange episode had drawn attention of observers. A student had applied for re-assessment of his exam papers. But when the officials started the process, the student’s answer book was missing. “Even then a possible involvement of the boys who are hired as peons from the chawl and students was being discussed in the university circles. But nobody paid attention,” a source told TOI.