Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India's performance audit of Anna University, Chennai, has exposed the weakness in the valuation system calling for a review.
The conclusion was reached following a review of the substantial change or rather increase in marks of students who had given answer scripts for revaluation during the period 2005 to 2009.
A sum of Rs. 400 is remitted from students as revaluation charges for each paper. If the student also requires a photostat copy of the answer script, he or she should required to pay Rs. 700. In case the evaluation is found to be unsatisfactory, the student can further go for a ‘review.'
In ‘review' of the answer script, the student should pay a sum of Rs. 3000 after securing permission of the head of the department and college principal. The answer sheet is then evaluated by the faculty member of the student in the college.
As per the report, number of students applying for revaluation more than doubled from 71,173 in April 2006 to 1.57 lakh in April 2009. While about 30,000 students got their marks changed after revaluation in 2006, over 83,000 got their marks changed in 2009. The percentage of answer scripts wherein the marks got changed for revaluation increased from 46.21 to 53.17 in the same period.
According to students, there has been a drastic increase in the number of students who apply for revaluation in recent years. The pressure on the faculty members to complete a particular number of transcripts with a prescribed period is considered the reason for the poor evaluation. “Most of us are unsatisfied with the evaluation process. The number of students who come to banks for paying the examination fee is far less that the student who make payments for revaluation,” says a student of SSN College.
Students who have received the photostat copy of the answer script, say that poor evaluation is evident. “Last year most students felt that paying Rs. 400 did not bring a drastic change in their marks and therefore applied for the answer scripts too, since they would have substantial evidence. This year, there is an increasing number of students who are unsatisfied with that and apply for the ‘review.' It forms a cycle,” says another student.
CAG report concluded that the increasing trend in the percentage of revaluation applications and the percentage of scripts involving changes in marks on revaluation and ‘review' pointed out at weakness in the valuation system. Based on the CAG report, the Higher Education secretary has asked the university to review its valuation system.
