How loopholes in re-evaluation rules were exploited to run 'cash-for-marks' racket at Anna University

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said that strict legal action would be taken against those found guilty in the 'cash-for-marks' racket at the Anna University in Chennai. The Tamil Nadu Police had on August 2 busted a 'cash-for-marks' racket and booked 10 professors, including former controller of examinations GV Uma. They have been accused of "receiving money" from some engineering students and giving them extra marks during re-evaluation.

The university has suspended former professor Uma and has constituted a committee to look into the issue.

Arrest

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC), the anti-corruption wing of Tamil Nadu police, had on August 2 booked 10 professors. It had conducted searches at the premises related to the 10 professors and seized some documents.

The action was taken based on information received from "reliable sources" that the accused had received money from engineering students, who had appeared for exams in 2017, and had granted them "excess marks" during re-evaluation, they said.

The DVAC had filed a case against Uma, Tindivanam zonal officers and assistant professors P Vijayakumar and Sivakumar, and seven others on charges of "conspiracy, cheating and forgery".

Subsequently, searches were carried out at the Chennai residence of Uma, those of Vijayakumar and Sivakumar at Tindivanam and the office of controller of examinations at the Anna University by the DVAC.

The documents relating to the alleged irregularities in the re-evaluation and those pertaining to properties of the accused were seized.

Modus operandi

The alleged culprits used a loophole in the university's re-evaluation policy to boost marks of students who paid them a hefty amount. The university re-evaluation rules that if the re-evaluation marks is more than 15 than the original score, the examination paper has to be sent for a second re-evaluation. After this, the two re-evaluation marks are compared and the best among the two most consistent marks was taken as the final score. 

For example, if a student scored 10 marks in a paper and got 40 marks in re-evaluation, there would be a second re-evaluation as the difference was more than 15 (30). If the candidate got 65 marks in the second re-evaluation, the difference would between the two re-evaluations be 25 and they would be considered consistent marks and the best among those two (40 and 65) will be taken as the final score. The candidate, who got 10 marks during evaluation finally go 65 marks. 

(With PTI inputs)