The Kannur University Senators’ Forum has leveled serious allegations against the university administration, accusing it of compromising its autonomy and acting on the verbal instructions of the Higher Education Minister.
The forum claimed that the university had handed over student data to Maharashtra-based MKCL without signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in violation of norms.
While other universities resisted sharing the data, Kannur University (KU) reportedly shared it, which the forum called a betrayal of students’ academic interests. The forum described the alleged involvement of the vice-chancellor in the matter as “unfortunate”, reflecting badly on the institution’s governance.
The results of the first semester of the university’s four-year undergraduate program have also been announced. The forum had put pressure on the university for prematurely publishing the results on the principal’s portal, ignoring the official protocol. The blame placed on the principals and colleges for distributing the results was considered “ridiculous” compared to the alleged errors by MKCL, the software company that manages the results. The forum claimed that the university had not given any prior information about the trial run.
The forum demanded an investigation into whether external agencies related to foreign universities influenced the situation with the aim of undermining the university’s credibility.
The platform has also exposed the alleged irregularities in the evaluation process of the first semester. Teachers reportedly conducted assessments using students’ registration numbers instead of anonymous codes, raising concerns about potential bias and mark manipulation. Direct uploading of marks by teachers to the Maharashtra company’s software was said to be a violation of transparency and accountability.
The forum alleged that the higher education minister pressured universities to transact with MKCL and it was only KU that fully implemented the directive. They argued that this is a violation of Section 25(15) of the University Act and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.
published – December 21, 2024 at 09:30 hrs IST