THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala University Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal has directed the varsity officials to cancel the unauthorised moderation marks awarded to students of career-related undergraduate courses in 2019. The intervention from the VC in-charge came following criticism that the university has not fully rectified the anomalies after a probe report found that a ‘software error’ led to the unauthorised award of moderation marks to over 700 students.
The VC in-charge, who examined the files relating to the examinations in detail, directed the staff of the exam wing to urgently cancel the marks. The exam wing staff reportedly told Kunnummal that the changes were not carried out due to a lack of specific directives from higher officials.
The VC in-charge directed that the unauthorised moderation marks be removed from the students’ profiles immediately and informed them that their marks have been cancelled. Following the marks fiasco, 17 students, who had initially failed in the examination, were able to secure pass marks and also managed to obtain degree certificates after they took legal recourse.
In another case, the university found that the marks of 74 students of final semester career-related degree courses were tampered with last year. A section officer, who was found guilty of mark tampering, was dismissed. A student who passed the course had approached the court and obtained a verdict for the award of the degree certificate.
SUCC PETITIONS GUV
The Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC), a whistleblower’s collective, had petitioned Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and pointed out that this would pave way for more students to obtain degree certificates by approaching the court.