More than three years after it was found that a software error led to the unauthorised awarding of moderation marks to over 700 students of various career-related undergraduate degree programmes, Kerala University is yet to fully rectify the anomaly.
According to the Save University Campaign Committee, a whistleblower's collective, over 100 students still have the mark lists, with the unauthorised moderation marks, in their possession. "No attempts were made by the university to correct the marks in the student profiles or inform the candidates that their marks have been cancelled. This is aimed at facilitating the students to get a favourable verdict from the court," RS Sasikumar of the Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) alleged, according to a report by The New Indian Express.
After the irregularities came to light, a probe by the university in 2019 found that the marks secured by 727 students in 12 examinations changed. Of these, 390 students had already downloaded their mark lists, including the moderation marks.
The University had cited a missing code in the moderation module of the tabulation software as the reason for the anomaly. Following the marks fiasco, 17 students, who had initially failed the examination, were able to secure pass marks and also managed to obtain degree certificates after they took legal recourse. After repeated reminders from the university, most of the students who benefited from the moderation marks surrendered their mark lists, reported TNIE.
According to the Save University Campaign Committee, a whistleblower's collective, over 100 students still have the mark lists, with the unauthorised moderation marks, in their possession. "No attempts were made by the university to correct the marks in the student profiles or inform the candidates that their marks have been cancelled. This is aimed at facilitating the students to get a favourable verdict from the court," RS Sasikumar of the Save University Campaign Committee (SUCC) alleged.
The SUCC said the university has also not taken corrective measures after it was found last year that the marks of at least 74 students of final semester Career Related degree courses were tampered with. A Section Officer, who was found guilty of mark tampering, was dismissed. "However, the marks awarded illegally to the students have not yet been cancelled," Sasikumar alleged, according to TNIE.
On the other hand, one of the students of the career-related degree course managed to get a favourable court verdict for the issuance of a degree certificate. This, the SUCC alleged, would also lead to similar moves from other students. The SUCC has approached Governor Arif Mohammed Khan with a petition urging him to direct the varsity to cancel the illegally awarded marks.
