Grace marks controversy: Loopholes in how arts fest is held at University of Sanskrit

Major doubts remain regarding the manner in which the university union arts fest is held and on the role of faculty members in charge of festival events

The controversy over awarding grace marks by the authorities of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskit to an SFI leader and student of B. A. Bharatanatyam on the Kalady main campus for winning the first prize in a youth fest event in which she apparently did not participate has exposed the loopholes in the system.

With the University authorities yet to find out whether the allegation is true, doubts have emerged over whether there were lapses in the manner in which the university union arts fest is being held and ineligible students were awarded grace marks. Senior varsity administrators said that the process of vetting the pending applications for awarding grace marks had been put on hold for now.

A Syndicate meet to be held on Saturday is likely to discuss the controversy and decide on the way forward over allegations that similar 'fake certificates' were issued to students in the name of having participated in the university youth fest. In its complaint submitted before Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, who is also the Chancellor, the Save University Campaign Committee had requested him to order an enquiry in to the award of grace marks and direct the vice chancellor to cancel the alleged fake certificates issued to undergraduate students, who had availed the grace marks in the final year B. A examination.

The University authorities admitted that the university youth fest was conducted under the aegis of the students' union, though a teacher is given charge of each event with another faculty member holding the overall charge. It is not yet clear whether the faculty members or the representatives of the university union had entered the names of the participants, both on-stage and off-stage, in the two registers maintained as part of the youth fest.

The faculty members in-charge had countersigned the register, and the Director of Student Services had to certify the names included in the register.

Though the process of awarding grace marks for the pending applications has been put on hold, others including the student facing the allegations had already availed it to clear the final semester exam.