THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Save Education Campaign Committee has petitioned the government against the ‘gross irregularities’ in the revaluation of answer scripts by examiners of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) leading to many students failing the BTech examination.
The Committee pointed out a recent instance where two students failed the BTech seventh semester Structural Analysis paper after they scored 24 and 22 marks. After revaluation, their marks further went down to 17 and 10, respectively. The aggrieved students approached the Lok Ayukta. Based on the Lok Ayukta’s directions, KTU appointed a review committee to look into the complaints.
“A highly-qualified and experienced examiner reviewed the answer-scripts. Students who got 17 and 10 marks were awarded 76 and 46 marks, respectively. This enabled them to pass the examination,” the Committee said. It also pointed out that a review fees of Rs 5,000 was charged from the students.
In the petition to Higher Education Minister R Bindu, the Save University Campaign Committee urged the government to initiate criminal proceedings against the erring examiners and the university officials concerned as many students who are eligible for good marks and campus placements are denied of that opportunity due to careless valuation. Meanwhile, KTU maintained that valuation-related issues have come down over the past few years after strict intervention by the varsity. “There are certain isolated cases.The university will soon evolve a mechanism to take strict action against examiners found guilty of careless valuation,” said a senior official of KTU.