KASARGOD: Academics and teachers’ organisation have roundly criticised the government for conducting adalat — a public grievance hearing platform — to decide on academic matters of university.
In February, Mahatma Gandhi University’s adalat — chaired by the vice-chancellor — considered a petition of a BTech student of a self-financing college in Kothamangalam seeking grace marks for the supplementary examination of the sixth semester. Based on the petition, the university’s syndicate — the highest decision-making body — granted up to five grace marks to the students of the batch.
“First of all, the adalat constituted by the government has no statutory backing, and the grace marks granted by the syndicate will not stand the scrutiny of law,” said Abdul Khader Mangad, former vice-chancellor of Kannur University.Mahatma Gandhi University has flouted procedures and set a wrong precedent, said M C Dileep Kumar, former vice-chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady. “If the higher education minister or his office had intervened in the matter, it was a big mistake,” said Prof Dileep Kumar, who was a member of MG University’s senate and syndicate.
Adalat is not part of the university system, they said. “There is no mention of adalat in the university’s Act, statutes, UGC regulations or in the examination manual,” said Prof Mangad.On giving grace marks, the academics said the only the examination pass board — constituted by the VC — can decide on giving moderation marks. “That too, before the results are declared,” he said. “Once the results are out, the only option before students is to go for re-evaluation,” he said. A student can seek re-evaluation twice, and if she is not satisfied can approach the vice-chancellor once again for “mercy chance” to re-evaluate the paper for the third time. “But in this case, the syndicate has used the powers it does not have to give grace marks,” said Prof Dileep Kumar.
The pass board will be constituted to decide on grace marks only under special circumstances, they said. “If too many questions were set from out of syllabus or there were too many indirect questions and students file a mass appeal, the VC can consider setting up the pass board,” said Prof Mangad, who was also a syndicate member of Kannur University. “But all that can happen only before the results are out,” he said.
Once the pass board — with subject experts as members — decides on the quantum of grace marks, it will be sent to the academic council, which will ratify it. “Only after that, the syndicate can confirm it,” he said. Universities are autonomous bodies, and the government should restrict its role to policy-making, they said.
The minister, as pro-chancellor, will come into picture only if the chancellor is absent or the post is vacant, they said. Also, Prof Mangad said he found it funny that a principal secretary had sought an explanation from the VC who, as per protocol, is on a par with the chief secretary.