NTR varsity gets HC stinker

HYDERABAD: Upset with university authorities for playing with the careers of thousands of students by 'whimsical' evaluation, the AP High Court directed the Dr N T R University of Health Sciences to appoint a new set of examiners and ensure that the papers are checked strictly in conformity with the varsity's valuation guidelines. Responding to a petition filed by seven B.Sc. Nursing students who alleged large-scale negligence on the examiners' part in valuating their microbiology paper, Justice Nooty Ramamohana Rao, in a rare exercise, got all seven answer sheets examined by a microbiology professor during court's working hours on a single day. The professor told the court that the valuation of the students' papers were not in conformity with the university's scheme of evaluation. She recommended that the performance of the students deserved a relook. The students in their affidavit said that they were shocked to see their first year results declared on March 1, 2008. Out of 36 students from their college, only five students passed. Rest all were failed mainly because of their near dismal performance in microbiology. Suspicious of the evaluation, students then applied for identification of their answer scripts and retotalling as per the available provisions. They were shocked to see the callous way in which the examiners had evaluated their papers. While some of their answers were not valuated at all, some were valuated but no marks awarded. Zero marks were given to some questions unjustly, they claimed. More importantly, examiners kept giving only 5 marks to answers that carried 15 marks each. The judge, after going through the university rules, declared that the revaluation was done whimsically and not objectively. The judge observed: "The university would do well to ensure that a new set of examiners are appointed immediately to undertake valuation of answer scripts of the writ petitioners and other similarly placed students instead of encouraging all of them to come to this court.The valuation of the performance of the students shall be carried out strictly in accordance with law and in conformity with the scheme of valuation. And results may be declared on or before April 30, 2008." The university, however, did not comply with this order. If they have to implement this order in its true spirit, they would have to revaluate the answer sheets of nearly 2,000 students of first year B.Sc. Nursing who were failed. Legal sources indicated that the university is planning to appeal against this verdict.
10 May 2008, 0440 hrs IST , M Sagar Kumar , TNN
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