UP Students Pass With ‘Jai Shri Ram’ And ‘Virat Kohli’ On Answer Sheets, Professors Suspended

A Rs. 200 bribe was concealed in the binding of the student's answer sheet. The examiners implicated, Dr. Vinay Verma and Manish Gupta, were suspended for irregularly in grading.

New Delhi: An extensive investigation delving into the suspected irregular grading practices of two educators sparked a significant scandal at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. Allegations surfaced suggesting that these professors had been assigning scores to first-year DPharm students based on irrelevant content such as "Jai Shree Ram," references to cricketers, song lyrics, and other extraneous material.

The revelation came to light following a meticulous Right to Information (RTI) request filed by student leaders Uddeshya and Divyanshu Singh. Their inquiry claimed that the implicated teachers had been accepting bribes from students in exchange for favorable grades. They specifically demanded a re-evaluation of approximately eighteen DPharma students' examination answer sheets.

In a formal communication addressed to high-ranking officials including the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Governor, and Vice Chancellor, Divyanshu Singh asserted that both professors and university administrators were complicit in the scandal. Singh highlighted instances where even students who had received a zero were inexplicably marked as passing with an overall score exceeding 60 per cent.

Subsequent to the RTI probe, discrepancies emerged during the re-evaluation process of individual answer sheets, revealing significant disparities in the originally assigned marks. In response to inquiries from Raj Bhavan, the Vice-Chancellor of the University was urged to take swift action to address the issue.

During a meeting of the examination committee held on Wednesday, the implicated examiners, Dr. Vinay Verma and Manish Gupta, were suspended pending further investigation.

Meanwhile, a troubling video emerged online depicting a student attempting to bribe the teacher responsible for evaluating the answer sheets. The footage showcased the student's message inscribed on the answer sheet, indicating that the copy had been handed over to their "Guru," with an implicit suggestion of favorable treatment. In the video, the teacher is seen revealing a Rs. 200 note surreptitiously placed alongside the tied answer sheet. The video concludes with the teacher marking the answer sheet with a zero, indicating a refusal to succumb to bribery.