‘Challenge evaluation’ comes into force in UP state varsities

Under the system, the students dissatisfied with their marks will be able to challenge the assessment

PRAYAGRAJ: A uniform system of ‘challenge evaluation’ has been implemented in all state universities of Uttar Pradesh, including Prof Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) State University and Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU) which are located in Prayagraj.

Uttar Pradesh has 17 state, 29 private and 10 deemed-to-be universities. Then there are colleges that run under them. As such, lakhs of students studying in these institutions will be affected by the implementation of this new system.

With the new system in place, while students dissatisfied with their marks will be able to challenge the assessment, action will also be taken against callous examiners.

Students will have to challenge their evaluation in two stages. In the first phase, they will see the scanned copy of the answer sheet and in the second phase, the student can challenge the evaluation. For applying to view a scanned copy of their answer sheet online, an examinee will have to submit Rs 300 per question paper, and if he is not satisfied with the marks awarded by the examiner, he can apply for the second phase by depositing a fee of Rs 2,500 per question paper.

The online application for the first phase will have to be done within 30 days of the declaration of result. For the second phase, the student has to apply within 45 days of the release of the result.

The head of department will prepare a panel of four subject experts and the vice-chancellor and the controller of examinations, of the respective university, will select two experts. The subject expert will be selected by a committee constituted by the V-C. Moreover, the marks given by the original examiner will be hidden before placing the answer book in front of the expert so that the expert can evaluate it without any bias.

Following implementation of this system that came into effect following recent orders from the governor’s secretariat, who is chancellor of all state varsities, action will be taken against callous examiners.

A notice will be served to an examiner if there is more than 20% change in the score awarded by him/her in the re-assessment of an answer sheet.

If more than three such incidents of an examiner are found in the same paper, then the full remuneration of the evaluation of the question paper concerned will be withheld, officials said. If there are more than five such cases, the examiner will be debarred for two years, they added.

If 10 cases are found in the same question paper of an examiner, he or she will be debarred and an adverse entry will be made in his personal statement book.

“Till now there was only the provision of scrutiny, wherein only the marks awarded were added again to determine an error in tabulation. But this is ‘re-evaluation’ of the answer sheet wherein the student can challenge the fact that he has been awarded less marks and a panel of two separate examiners, appointed by a vice-chancellor will evaluate the copy and award marks separately. The average of the marks they award will be the new marks,” explained UPRTOU V-C KN Singh, who is currently also officiating as the V-C of Prof Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) State University.

Singh further added that the marks will be changed only if there is a difference of over 20% marks and if the deviation is less than 20%, there will be no change in the overall marks awarded to a student.

The student can challenge that he has been awarded less marks and a panel of two separate examiners, appointed by a VC will evaluate the copy and award marks separately. The average of the marks they award will be the new marks

KN SINGH, UPRTOU V-C