MADURAI: The Madurai Kamaraj University on Monday alerted its distance education wing to be vigilant following a spate of admission and examination malpractice complaints received from its study centres in Mumbai and Kolkata.

Even as a senior-level team had conducted inspections at Kolkata and returned here on Monday morning, Vice-Chancellor P. Maruthamuthu, along with a special team, is rushing to Mumbai where the charges are severe and threaten the reputation of the university.

Written and oral complaints citing issuance of fake certificates for admission, question paper leaks, allowing students to write examinations at home, bribery and promising course completion certificates in less than the stipulated duration among others have been received by the authorities.

"I take this very seriously. Stern action will be taken against the guilty and I am collecting prima facie material.... In the next few days I will visit Mumbai to take a decisive action," Dr. Maruthamuthu told The Hindu soon after the team that visited Kolkata returned. The team is expected to submit its report very soon.

Confirming that the varsity had taken stock of the situation, he said, "if necessary, the authorisation of study centres will be cancelled and reputed institutions in these metros will be roped in for running the centres."

The university has 46 authorised study centres outside Tamil Nadu, including the recently opened ones at Kanpur and Patna. Varsity sources, however said, the maximum number of complaints and shady admission/examination procedures came from Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad.

Sub-centres

Officials admitted that though each State had been allotted only one centre, several other sub-centres were coming up without the varsity's knowledge at the behest of authorised representatives who undertook admissions.

A section of the MKU staff felt that the inspection process carried out now should be changed by involving senior professors and Senate members, "instead of only the Syndicate members doing it."

The Vice-Chancellor assured that steps would be taken to ensure that "students in any State will not face hardships when the varsity initiates action against the existing centres." Investigation reports are likely to be placed before the Syndicate meeting scheduled for November 14 and the Senate meeting on November 18.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail