The Hindu: Chennai: Wednesday, June 14, 2017.
With the Anna
University having released exam results on Friday, thousands of students are
likely to apply for revaluation and review, bringing crores of Rupees in
revenue to the university’s coffers.
A response to
a Right to Information (RTI) query by a former student of the university has
revealed that the institution received as many as 18,13,600 answer scripts for
revaluation and review over eight semesters between November 2012 and April
2016.
Over this
period, the university received payments adding up to ₹71.62 crore for carrying
out revaluation and ₹6.87 crore for review.
Students have
long been complaining about the evaluation standards at the university as they
end up spending a fortune on photocopies, revaluation and then review. This has
been a cause of concern for students and parents alike, as a good academic
track record is essential for a good placement. The university allows students
to get a photocopy of their answer sheets before applying for revaluation.
According to the RTI reply, the Anna University has earned a revenue of ₹54.13
crore from photocopies in the same period.
Karthi
Natarajan, a graduate of the Anna University's constituent college in Panruti,
said that in his RTI query, he had sought access to details about the amount
spent on revaluation department-wise, which was denied. A senior professor at
the university said that about 40% of students who take the exams would seek
revaluation. And of those who seek revaluation, the RTI reply reveals that
about 60% end up securing higher marks.
According to
university officials, there is a 5-10% chance of error in evaluation, given the
large volume of students.“Each teacher corrects as many as 30 papers in three
hours. An examiner spends around eight hours a day correcting papers,” an
official said.
University
officials admit that there could be lapses in the way the papers are evaluated,
and that it could lead to rare instances of students receiving very high or
very low marks during revaluation.
“Around 1.5
lakh students take the exams each year. Each student would be appearing for
eight subjects, barring arrears,” said the Controller of Examinations, G.V.
Uma. If the difference between the original score and the revaluation score
exceeds 15 marks, the paper is sent for another round of evaluation. “The
highest mark is awarded to the candidate,” explained a professor.
“Theoretically, we should take action against erring teachers, but we do not go
that far as the students are our primary concern,” said a professor.
The answer
sheets of students of affiliated colleges, which form the largest chunk, are
evaluated by a pool of professors from the affiliated colleges. Anna University
professors only evaluate the papers of students of the university’s
departments.
Unsatisfied
with the revaluation, as many as 19,793 candidates applied for review during
the period covered by the RTI reply. A candidate can apply for review only
after revaluation. Even after review, 5-10% of the students are dissatisfied,
and seek further review, officials said.