Hyderabad: Following allegations of glaring discrepancies in law examination results, Osmania University (OU) has decided to examine all re-evaluated answer scripts, especially those that recorded unusually high increases in marks after revaluation. According to students, at least 200 candidates across multiple law colleges under OU, who were initially declared failed (with marks below 40), saw their scores revised to as high as 60 to 85 (A and B grades) after opting for revaluation. They claim the number of affected students could be much higher.
While the university refused to specify the number of such cases, it acknowledged concerns over the abnormal increase in marks and said a committee was being constituted to examine both the original and re-evaluated answer scripts to identify lapses and determine whether evaluators deviated from prescribed procedures.
“Not just at OU, but even IITs would struggle to ensure complete uniformity in the evaluation of descriptive answers, as there could be a variation of around 10% in the marks awarded by different evaluators. However, we are concerned about the abnormal increase in marks of a few candidates and want to understand the root cause,” said Kumar Molugaram, vice-chancellor of the university.
He said the committee, comprising three to five members, would examine the discrepancies and determine whether the lapse occurred during the original evaluation or the revaluation process. “If any evaluator is found guilty, action will be initiated against them. We will impose penalties or even bar them from evaluation work,” he added, stating that the committee was expected to submit its report within 10 days.
Officials also pointed out that factors such as the reluctance of faculty from private colleges to participate in assessment work and the burden on a limited pool of evaluators may have contributed to the problem. The university is also planning counselling sessions for faculty members to prevent such issues in the future. Officials further indicated that such discrepancies could potentially exist in other disciplines as well. However, for now, the inquiry will remain confined to the evaluation of law examination papers.
Under the procedure followed by OU, students dissatisfied with their marks can apply for revaluation. During the process, two evaluators assess the answer scripts independently. Revised marks are considered only if the variation exceeds 10%, and the final score is determined by averaging the marks awarded by both evaluators. “We have already started identifying answer scripts that recorded abnormal increases in marks. Once these are identified, we will have greater clarity,” said K Shashikanth, controller of examinations, adding that the university had already shortlisted faculty members for the committee.
