Osmania University sees red as affiliated college forge academic records

Hindi Mahavidyalaya Degree College found to have resorted to fraudulent practices; the university has cancelled its affiliation and recommended to UGC to revoke its autonomous status

Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University Kumar Molugaram, in a press release on Saturday, said the institute will not tolerate academic misconduct, be it in upholding standards or conforming to the norms prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Mr. Molugaram’s statements are in light of the stringent measures taken against Hindi Mahavidyalaya Degree College, which has been pulled up for serious violations of rules, including forging academic records.

The university has cancelled the college’s provisional affiliation after multiple inquiries by standing committees and recommended to the UGC and the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) revocation of its autonomous status, according the university administration.

Investigation details shared by the university in the release showed that the college submitted manipulated results for UG sixth-semester exams during the 2019-2022 academic years. It falsely declared 49 failed students as having passed and five passed students as having failed.

Noting the inconsistencies in the tabulation records (TR), the university ordered a comprehensive inquiry, and more irregularities were found: commerce papers were evaluated by unqualified computer science faculty members and marks lists were forged. The college failed to submit critical details, including examination papers, evaluation records and advanced supplementary exam notifications.

Inquiries also showed that the TR of undergraduate 2023-2024 batch lacked the required signatures and stamps of the principal and controller of examinations. The standing committees confirmed the forgery of signatures belonging to the Additional Controller of Examinations and discrepancies in results provided to OU.

“Specifically, the college misreported results of 13 B.Com 27 B.Sc. and 9 BBA students who had actually failed. Whereas four B.Com and one BBA students, [who] had genuinely cleared the exams, were shown as failed,” the release read.

The standing committee recommended seizing of relevant records and initiating criminal cases against those responsible for forging the signatures.

The Osmania University administration said it has decided to allow the current students of Hindi Mahavidyalaya Degree College to complete their courses under its direct supervision. However, undergraduate admissions from 2025-2026 academic year will be stalled, and only postgraduate courses will continue, and it will be under a non-autonomous status. The upcoming final semester exams will also be conducted directly by the university.

According to Mr. Molugaram, action against the college emphasises the university’s zero-tolerance policy towards academic misconduct. “Affiliated and autonomous institutions must adhere strictly to university and UGC regulations. There is no room for compromise when it comes to academic standards, transparency and compliance,” he said.

Published - November 23, 2024 11:49 pm IST