Bangalore University Scam - Pay Rs 10,000, get your BU answerscript

From _ TOI

BANGALORE : All that it costs to pass a subject in a Bangalore University undergraduate semester exam is Rs 10,000. You will get back your answerscript which can be filled leisurely. And if you spend another Rs 200, you will even get the answer keys used by evaluators.

A group of students belonging to National Students Union of India (NSUI) on Friday released to the media copies of a CD, the result of a sting operation by students, carrying a video of the racket-at-work. A copy was also presented to governor H R Bhardwaj, the varsity chancellor.

According to students, this is how the drama unfolded. Accountancy exam for third semester BCom was conducted on October 17. A student of SSMRV College in Jayanagar, Keerthiraj M P, wrote the exam. He later approached a tout and told him that he could not attempt all the questions. The tout promised Keerthiraj that he would get his answerscript out at night for Rs 10,000 and he could fill in the rest of answers.

The student paid the tout Rs 5,000 as advance. The tout agreed to meet Keerthiraj at 7.30pm on October 19 with the answerscript near Al Ameen College, Lalbagh, a varsity valuation centre. Keerthiraj went to the spot and carried with him a mobile phone equipped with a camera. After receiving his answerscript, Keerthiraj captured the same on his mobile camera and returned the paper to the tout after sometime, claiming that he had answered the remaining questions.

Keerthiraj, who paid the tout the remaining money, was also told that if he paid another Rs 200 he would get the answer keys used for evaluation as well.

"We had heard that it's very easy to get papers out of the valuation centres. There have been rumours that at least 25 answerscripts have been taken out of the centres. We decided to check it out and our member Keerthiraj helped us carry out this sting operation," NSUI state president Mahesh Ravanikar said, and added: "It's impossible to get answerscripts out of valuation centres without help from university officials." "The governor told us that he would interfere if the vice-chancellor failed to act," he added.

Tout arrested

Wilson Garden police on Friday evening arrested Harish, the tout who took out answerscripts from Al Ameen College valuation centre.

Daily wage labourer Harish was handed over to police by college principal and valuation centre custodian B A Anuradha as the news of the NSUI sting operation spread.

VC Speak

"I learnt about the answerscript leakage at 7 pm. We have ordered a detailed inquiry. We have to look at plugging the loopholes. The system is a huge one and there will be a few black sheep. The magnitude of the problem can be assessed only after police investigation. Bangalore University has always been transparent. We have even gone to the extent of dismissing a couple of faculty members involved in malpractices." - N Prabhu Dev, vice-chancellor, BU