GUWAHATI: The Gauhati University has been hit by a “marksheet scam”.
It was detected in the university’s computerised marksheet system, which is managed by a firm. Some people managing it had increased the marks of certain students in exchange for money.
A teacher of the Ganeshlal Chaudhary College in lower Assam’s Barpeta had unearthed the scam by detecting the forged marks of one Azizul Haque, a sixth-semester undergraduate student. Later, the college authorities alerted the police leading to his arrest.
According to the teachers, Haque had initially admitted to them that he got his marks increased in exchange for money. He said that he had paid Rs 10,000 to certain elements every time he had increased his marks after semester exams. Later, he denied having paid any money to anyone.
The Assam police and the Crime Investigation Department are jointly conducting a probe. So far, nine persons have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the case. They were booked under some IPC sections relating to forgery, cheating and criminal conspiracy.
Revealing the scam before the media, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said six to seven cases involving inflation of marks had been reported from Barpeta district.
“They (Gauhati University) have a very weak computerised system to preserve the marks. It is such that even an ordinary operator can increase the marks of a student. Taking advantage of the weak system, some people tend to increase their marks after two to three years,” Sarma said.
“We don’t know how many students have got their narks increased this way. The same thing could be happening in other universities as well. This is a serious matter,” he said.
He also said that he had spoken with the Barpeta Superintendent of Police as well as the state’s Director General of Police. The Assam police are working on this, he added.
He disclosed that the main person of the firm, which manages the varsity’s computerised mark sheet system, was among those arrested.