Chacellor summons Vice Chancellor V.P. Mahadevan Pillai

The University of Kerala has commenced an internal inquiry into the illegal modification of moderated marks that were obtained by students pursuing career-related courses.

The expert team, led by Pro Vice Chancellor P.P. Ajayakumar, recorded the statements of senior officers, including the Controller of Examinations, Director of the Computer Centre, Joint Registrars and Assistant Registrars of various sections, and employees of the IT cell in the examination wing.

The panel, which comprised technical experts, including Syndicate member K.G. Gopachandran, Senate member K.S. Anil Kumar and Ignatius Kunjumon, a retired professor of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), also blocked the related hard disks from the examination wing as part of the ongoing probe.

The team is likely to study the access patterns to identify the source of the alterations that had been made to the marks, sources said.

While this has temporarily disrupted the mark entry process of examinations as well as the issuance of various certificates, university authorities have assured that the delivery of services as well as other routine activities will resume at the earliest using alternative means.

The inquiry also exposed various drawbacks of the existing examination software, including its inability to incorporate certain ‘conditions’ to selectively provide moderation. The university has also suspended the login credentials of most officials until further notice.

Meanwhile, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan summoned Vice Chancellor V.P. Mahadevan Pillai to understand the circumstances that could have led to the ongoing controversy and the remedial measures that have been adopted to prevent such malpractices in future.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has demanded a judicial inquiry into the issue.

UDF walkout

The Opposition UDF staged a walkout in the Assembly on Monday demanding an impartial probe into the complaints of Kerala University arbitrarily awarding marks for students of 16 career-linked degree programmes held between 2016 and 2019.

Roji M. John, who gave notice for an adjournment motion on the “confusion in the higher education sector” following the scam, alleged that the university staff had manipulated the online tabulation system and awarded higher scores than that fixed by the Pass Board.

Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel said that the Crime Branch was probing the case and the government was committed to bring the culprits to book.

The UDF members trooped out after Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan denied leave for a discussion on the notice.