Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

OMR sheets not delivered to university: panel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A three-member fact-finding committee set up by the Syndicate of the University of Kerala to enquire into the facts relating to the ‘missing’ OMR answer sheets of the Assistant Grade II examination held in July 2005 has concluded that the Hyderabad-based press, where the sheets were evaluated, did not deliver them to the university.

The committee was set up following allegations of nepotism and corruption in the conduct of the examination and in the subsequent selection interview for the post, which resulted in a case in the Lok Ayukta.

No records to substantiate the delivery could be produced by the press. If the records were destroyed, no documents were found to substantiate such destruction.

The press was also not able to produce the acknowledgement of the evaluated OMR sheets that it claims to have sent to the university, the report submitted to the university by the committee on July 30 notes.

The syndicate of the day (in 2005) cannot shirk its responsibility and “escape from the lapses that occurred in the conduct of the Assistant Grade II examination in July 2005. There is an element of moral responsibility on its part,” the report reads.

“Negligence, ignorance and laxity on the part of the press and the university have caused such a situation. Maintenance of proper records in all sections of the university related with the Assistant Grade II examination, 2005, was not strictly enforced,” the report reads.

Just because an examination has a confidential nature, the practise of keeping statutory officers of the university in the dark cannot be justified. “If such lack of trust exists, no system of collaborative nature could function properly. The VC, PVC, Registrar and the CE (controller of examinations) have to always be mutually confident. Receiving quotations, negotiating rates and accepting an agency etc should be done by a group comprised of all the statutory officers of the university,” the report reads.

The committee also suggested that the university follow the model of the Public Service Commission in conducting such tests in future and adopt the Kerala Government Manual of Officer Procedure for administrative matters of the university offices.

Though the press claims that it despatched all examination-related material to the university in November 2005, as per an agreement made with the varsity that month, there are no records in the university relating to such an agreement.

The committee has expressed its reservations about the claim made by the press authorities that they do not maintain records for long periods.

The press gave a letter dated June 7 to the Registrar showing despatch of the OMR sheets on November 9, 2005, and another one to the committee showing the details of the correction in the number of answer sheets sent to it. The university has no records for this.

However, the despatch letter produced by the press does not mention details such as weight of the parcel, transit media and so on. University records show the receipt on November 10, 2005, of a parcel despatched from the press on November 9.

The five-bundle parcel is a series of question papers for university examinations, the report notes. The former production manager of the press Phani Krishna failed to cooperate properly with the committee.

“He was deliberately tight-lipped and even refused to reveal his personal mobile number,” the report reads. The whole process of the examination began with meetings presided over by the then PVC S. Kevin. The present PVC V. Jayaprakas continued to preside over meetings and took decisions regarding the said examination, the report notes.

The usual practise of the press is to send all material to the university as air cargo. At the time of the examination concerned, material was being sent by Indian Airlines cargo.

The committee verified the airlines records during November and December 2005 and found no parcel addressed to Dr. Jayaprakas.

The committee also verified in person the said records for January and February 2006 but could not find any parcel addressed to the PVC, the report notes.

The committee took evidence from about 20 university employees, serving and retired, in addition to ‘sessions’ with the Vice-Chancellor, PVC, Mr. Kevin, Registrar and the Controller of Examinations.

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

Stories in this Section

SBT to hold Hindi Day contests
Students from the U.S. visit Afras Academy
Tsunami relief: Maharashtra Chief Minister to hand over keys of houses in August
KTDC organises tour
NSS seeks government intervention
New PCB chairperson
RSP dissolves district committee
‘Attack on the people’
Rice quota: UDF blames government
Power cut not justified: Aryadan
Panel for Malappuram
PDS quota: Pawar’s claim contested
SERC hearing
Marriage registration at Guruvayur on holidays too
Deshmukh to hand over keys
TIFF from today
Technopark to co-host job fair
OMR sheets not delivered to university: panel
Case filed against KWA
Cut in rice quota flayed
Pensioners’ forum demand
Thiruvananthapuram today

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu