Chennai: In a major decision, the University of Madras has debarred about 800 candidates for three years for involving in exam malpractices in December 2016.
In an expose on November 13, 2017, Deccan Chronicle has spelt out the modus operandi of the racket. The exam system of the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) was outsmarted by agents and study centres from outside the state using courier system. A committee, after going through several hundred suspected answer scripts, has submitted its report on the examination racket to the University.
The university has taken the decision to debar these candidates following the recommendation of the committee at its Syndicate meeting held on Friday here.
“We have closed down the study centres involved in the examination racket and the university also decided to withheld the deposits of these study centres until further action,” said P.Duraisamy, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras. In future, the university is likely to conduct all its exams within Tamil Nadu to prevent such malpractices.
It also initiated stern acion over the disappearance of suspected answer scripts from the university. The preliminary enquiry committee consisting of university’s registrar R.Srinivasan and controller of examinations M.Srinivasan have termed the disappearance of answer scripts in their report as ‘conspiracy’. “All the responses of the staff members were surprisingly the same. They might have been tutored before attending the enquiry,” the report observed. It also recommended to suspend the staff members responsible for the safety of answer sheets.
“We have initiated disciplinary proceedings against them and will lodge a police complaint with the senior police officers about the missing answer scripts,” Mr.P.Duraisamy said. Sources said the four or five staff members will be suspended in the next week pending enquiry. While discussing about approving the MGR Professorship Chair, the university has decided to approach the government for support to establish a new centre in the name of MGR.
The University has also presented a non-deficit budget for the year 2018-19.The university also allocated grants to all the 87 departments to conduct conferences in the coming academic year. “If any department bring funds from outside the university we will increase our grant to that department,” he said.
