Two MSc Chemistry students of Kakatiya University in Warangal were baffled when the second semester results were released earlier this month. While both of them definitely aspired to score good marks, they were shocked when they found out that they had scored 43 and 53 marks in one of the papers, when the maximum score was 40!
And this is not the first time that the students in the university have scored more than the maximum marks allotted. Curiously, this is the second instance that students in the same department have scored more than the maximum.
Last year, a student belonging to the Mathematics department had reportedly scored 105 marks in one paper, whereas the maximum marks were 100.
Students have been protesting against this gross negligence by the university, demanding the resignation of the controller of examinations. Speaking to TNM, Manohar, president of the Bahujan Students Federation, calls it sheer incompetence on the part of the university and says that students have been protesting against the controller of examinations for the past one week.
“This is not the first time that such manipulation is happening in the university. Earlier too students from the same department have scored more marks than what can be allotted. We can only imagine how many more students’ results have been manipulated in the process,” Manohar says.
Some students belonging to the Chemistry department further allege that the manipulations are often a result of the rivalry between the head of the department and the head of the board of studies, who act as an intermediary between the controller of examinations and the department.
“Our HoD and the head of the board of studies have always been at loggerheads. Everybody in the university knows about this. There are speculations that the HoD deliberately manipulates marks and sends it across to the head of the board of studies so that students accuse the controller of examinations of tampering with the marks,” a student from the Chemistry department says.
“Such errors delay the future course of action for students, especially for those who have finished their post-graduation and are looking for jobs. The university is so outdated that it still manually publishes the results and does not bother putting them up on our website,” he adds.
When asked about the allegations, the Chemistry head of the department, Prof Dayakar Gade, told TNM that the error was purely due to a technical glitch.
“Instances of students who score more than the maximum marks allotted have escalated in the past four years. It’s a technical glitch on the side of the university that is causing the error. I haven’t awarded a single person more than the maximum marks allotted and the university will soon appoint a committee to look into the matter, and probe the invigilator who has corrected the answer sheets,” Prof Dayakar says.
Meanwhile, the head of the board of studies, Hanumanthu Gugoloth, told TNM that the error was a result of moderation after which 0.5% of marks was added to the original marks.
“It was a glitch in the software that created the problem. We think it happened during the moderation of results when 0.5% marks were added. Due to the error in the system, more marks were given. We are trying to solve the issue and will soon publish a new marksheet,” he says.