An investigation at Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University, Jabalpur, revealed that 278 degrees were awarded to people who never were students at the varsity. The findings of the five-member investigation committee, led by retired Madhya Pradesh high court judge KK Trivedi, also flagged overwritten answer sheets and revaluation even when the rules did not allow it, reported Hindustan Times.
On August 16, 2021, seven petitioners approached the Madhya Pradesh high court. Demanding an independent probe, the petitioners claimed that there had been massive-scale corruption in the administration of the 2018–19 exams at the medical and nursing colleges affiliated with the varsity.
To investigate the claims, the court directed the state government to set up a high-level committee on October 4, 2021. The committed featured a retired high court judge, a police officer, and three experts. Seven days later, the state government appointed KK Trivedi to lead the committee.
The findings of the investigation were presented to the court in July. They are expected to be discussed at the upcoming hearing on January 2.
According to the national daily, the committee report says that the university showed a mismatch between 278 students who enrolled in the course and those that got degrees. The report further suggests that the varsity only acted “in respect of a few candidates and institutions.” In most of these cases, mark sheets were issued in the names of other candidates, even though the enrolment number reflected a different name.
Mindlogics Infratech, a private IT firm, was given the task of delivering university question papers and declaring the results of 2 lakh students. However, no one responded when contacted on the number given on the company’s website.
Other irregularities discovered by the committee include granting passing grades to students whose answer sheets were overwritten during “revaluation and special revaluation,” which is particularly interesting because the rules do not allow for this. Former exam controller at the varsity, Vrinda Saxena admitted in the report that she was pressured to favour some students.
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