Anti-graft body DVAC exposes major re-evaluation scam at Anna University in Tamil Nadu; 10 professors booked

The Tamil Nadu anti-corruption body has exposed a major scam in re-evaluation of answer scripts in Anna University. The professors in the university allegedly took bribes from students for illegally passing them during the re-evaluation of the answer sheet. [caption id="" align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Anna University. News18[/caption] Ten academicians, including the former Controller of Examinations, Professor GV Uma, were named as accused in the scandal, PTI said.  The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) conducted a surprise check on the premises of the suspects and seized documents, including copies of answer scripts as well as property 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, said DVAC to PTI. According to Times Now, preliminary investigations suggest that as many as 16,636 students out of the 3,02,380 students who applied for re-evaluation were awarded extra marks and about 73,733 students passed after applying for re-evaluation. The University came under the scanner in June 2012 as well, when two faculty members accused top university officials of harassing them into awarding extra marks during re-evaluation. “We suspect that several thousands of engineering students paid bribes to boost their scores. Many of them would have graduated as engineers from Anna University. During searches, we seized copies of answer scripts and documents of immovable assets from the residential and office premises of Uma and others. The accused have been booked under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and also on charges of conspiracy, cheating, forgery and criminal misconduct,” a senior DVAC officer told  The Hindu. The accused are said to have destroyed some of the answer sheets in bid to eliminate evidence. With inputs form PTI