The Syndicate of the University of Madras debarred 800 students from three study centres for malpractices in exams.
The students were from centres in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Mysuru, and had taken the exams in November/December 2016. The university constituted a committee to look into the irregularities. It found that the students had not appeared for the exams and instead had others write their exams for them.
Vice-Chancellor P. Duraisamy said the committee had examined their answer scripts (each student had attended five exams). “We compared the signature of the hall supervisor on top of the answer sheets with what we have on record. They did not match. We have decided to file a first information report with the local police station and take up the issue with the Commissioner of Police,” he said.
UGC directive
The Syndicate had resolved to shut centres outside Tamil Nadu following a University Grants Commission directive that universities cannot run study centres outside their respective States.
Those who are already in their second and third years can complete their programmes.
Henceforth, students who have enrolled from outside the State will have to come to Tamil Nadu to write the exams.
If there is a sufficient number of students, then a centre in a neighbouring State will be identified and students will write the exams from that centre.
The exams will be conducted under the direct supervision of officials appointed by the university, Mr. Duraisamy said.
The Syndicate also resolved to permit the present Controller of Examination (CoE) M. Srinivasan to continue provided he was willing to relinquish the headship of the criminology department in favour of his tenure as CoE.
If he was unwilling to give up the headship, the University would appoint a person as full-time in-charge controller until an official is appointed through advertisement. In the last Syndicate, the delay in issuing certificates had been taken up.
