Times of India: Chaennai: Saturday,
May 28, 2016.
Anna
University has collected more than Rs 75 crore from engineering students for
re-evaluation of papers since 2011, an RTI application has revealed. In
response to an RTI application filed by onlineRTI.com, Anna University said it
has collected Rs 28.82 crore for providing photocopies of answer sheets and Rs
46.65 crore for revaluation since 2011.
The reply
said the amount collected for providing a photocopy of answer sheets has
increased from Rs 68.04 lakh in 2011 (April/May) to Rs 7.59 crore in 2015
(April/May). Similarly, the fees collected for revaluation has increased from
Rs 2.18 crore in 2011 (April/May) to Rs 4.36 crore in 2015 (April/May).
Students can
get photocopies of their answer sheets for a fee of Rs 300 per subject, and
have to pay Rs 400 per subject for revaluation. Students want the university to
provide the copy of answer sheets for Rs 2 per page under the provisions of the
RTI Act, as other universities in the country charge allow. Under the RTI Act,
officials get 30 days to provide the information requested. However, Anna
University says students should apply for revaluation within a week of the
results being released.
"I have
to pay Rs 300 per subject now to get the photocopy of answer sheet. I would get
it for Rs 84 (42 pages) under the RTI Act," says a third year engineering
student. He says the average student accumulates fails in about five subjects
and has to go for revaluation.
Senior
faculty of Anna University denied allegations that the university is making
money out of revaluation fees. "We will not refund money to applicants
even he/she passes after revaluation as we have to pay the examiners. We do not
get additional funds from the government and do not collect hefty fees like
private colleges."
He said they
cannot provide copy of answer sheets under the RTI Act. "We cannot give
more than a week for the students to apply for revaluation after the exams and
it will affect job opportunities and higher studies. We also don't have enough
storage space to keep answer sheets for long."
In 2011,
Supreme Court said students could inspect their answer sheets under the RTI
Act. In January, the Central Information Commission (CIC) directed the HRD
ministry, University Grants Commission and Association of Indian Universities
to publicize the order fixing the fee at Rs 2 for a page. The CIC passed the
order on January 15 while deciding on an appeal filed by a Delhi University
student Abne Ingty who had challenged the cost of Rs 750 per question paper
imposed for accessing answer sheets under the RTI Act.
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