Thiruvananthapuram: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has sought a report from the Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor on the marks moderation controversy. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had sought an inquiry by the governor, who is also chancellor of the university, into the matter. Mr Chennithala had alleged that higher education minister K.T. Jaleel had intervened to ensure moderation to a student who failed in the B. Tech examinations. The governor is learnt to have sent a letter to Vice-Chancellor Sabu Thomas seeking clarifications. He also forwarded a petition submitted by Mr Chennithala to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The VC had said earlier that the decision to grant moderation was taken after the BTech course was transferred to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.
Moderation up to five marks was to be given to BTech students, who failed in one subject as they had no other chance to better their results.
Mr Chennithala had said that the state government had no authority to conduct a grievance redressal adalat for university students as the university is an autonomous body.
He alleged that the minister’s private secretary participated in the adalat and sanctioned grace marks to a student so that she could clear a supplementary paper. This was done on the instructions of the minister after the student’s request for grace marks was turned down by the university. Mr Jaleel had dismissed the allegations as a political gimmick aimed at the by-elections.
