It has been over two weeks since the Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit had received the complaint
It has been over two weeks since the Vice Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit had received the complaint
Key questions remain unanswered in the controversy over the allegations that the authorities of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit had awarded grace marks to a Student Federation of India (SFI) leader, who had failed in the final semester undergraduate exam, for winning first prize in a stage event in which the student had allegedly not participated.
The award of 10 grace marks enabled the student of B. A. Bharatanatyam programme at the Kalady main campus to clear the exam. A few members of the team, that won the first prize in the Malayalam skit competition in the University Union youth festival held from May 11 to 13, had lodged a complaint with the Vice Chancellor alleging that she was not part of the team.
Main queries
The Save University Forum had submitted a letter to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is also the Chancellor of the varsity, on August 10 quoting the complaint registered by the students and also urging him to direct the Vice Chancellor to cancel the fake certificates issued for getting the grace marks. The University had released a press release on August 14 stating that further steps following the issue of mark list to the student have been put on hold, pending inquiry.
Two key queries were posed to the University authorities on the controversy. The first question was on whether any photographic or video evidence was available to reject the allegation that the student, who received the grace marks, had participated in the skit competition.
Two weeks since the complaint
People close to the development stated that her name was included in the register among the three off-stage supporting members of the team and hence no photographic/video evidence was available. A key question on whether the student, who failed in the final semester undergraduate exam, cleared it by availing the 10 grace marks elicited a response that “it has not yet been ascertained”. Interestingly, it has been over two weeks since the Vice Chancellor had received the complaint from the students who were part of the team that won the first prize in the skit competition.
However, the University authorities rejected reports that the Vice Chancellor had directly awarded the grace marks as it was done after the completion of the due process involving the Head of the Department concerned, Director of Student Services, and the report from the Academic ‘D’ Section.
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