NLIU to check 8k degrees due to irregularities found
CREDIBILITY TEST Probe report finds law degrees were issued to failed students and those who were absent from the examination
Over 8,000 mark sheets and degrees issued to students of the National Law Institute University (NLIU) between 2003 and 2015 will be scrutinised after a probe report found irregularities in handing over degrees, university officials said on Thursday.
NLUI is reputed to be one of the top law colleges in central India, and this is perhaps the first time that such an exercise is being undertaken. The university started issuing degrees in 2003.
A university official said the report stated degrees had been issued to students that had failed their course and even those who were absent for their exam. Some who received such degrees went on to work in the lower judiciary.
“The most shocking thing was that students, who were found absent in the attendance register, received passing marks in the result and later, they also received degrees. Over writing was also found in the papers,” the report stated.
NLIU registrar Girijabala Singh said, “This is a very serious matter. The credibility and integrity of NLIU is at stake. To clear all the doubts from the minds of people, the administration has decided to scrutinise the mark sheets and degrees of all the passed-out students.”
Explaining the process of the probe, a university official who did not want to be named said, “The university will check the tabulation of results from 1998 to 2015 to check marks given to students. Similarly degree records from 2003 to 2015 will also be checked – the institute started giving out degrees from 2003. They will mainly be checking for overwriting and using of whitener to change marks. The attendance register will be matched with the tabulation to see if the student was present on the day the exam was scheduled.”
Allegations of irregularities in issuing degrees started in 2016 when several students complained to the chief justice of Madhya Pradesh. The said in their complaint that degrees of NLIU were being sold.
A two-member committee of the additional chief secretary, higher education and principal secretary of law and legislative affairs started to probe the matter November 2017. They blamed assistant registrar of NLIU Ranjeet Singh for the irregularities, and he was suspended. The committee also recommended a judicial inquiry to unravel the extent of the irregularities. Subsequently, retired MP high court judge Abhay Gohil was handed over the probe.
The probe, which found that 15 students received degrees after failing their semester exam, also blamed assistant registrar Ranjeet Singh, who did not respond to requests for a comment.
Meanwhile, an RTI activist also raised allegations of irregularities in cracking the entrance test for NLIU from 1998 to 2007. The Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, also called Vyapam, handled the exam at the time. “... a section of the students were helped to crack the entrance test, by NLIU administration. A high level inquiry should be conducted...” he said.
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