ANU under fire over contract faculty evaluating distance-education answer scripts

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Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) is facing heat following allegations that contractual postgraduate faculty members evaluated undergraduate semester examination papers. The evaluation took place at Prabhala Degree College, one of two authorised centres, raising concerns about the eligibility of the personnel engaged for the work.

The issue particularly concerns answer scripts for subjects such as the Life Skill Course—Environmental Education, Social Work, Food and Nutrition, Chemistry, English, and other subjects related to the ANU Centre for Distance Education’s examinations.

The university reportedly entrusted nearly 1.93 lakh undergraduate semester examination papers to the college for evaluation. Of the total scripts, 11,164 papers were evaluated by nine faculty members from different concerned subjects allegedly suggested by the university authorities, which has now become a point of concern.

Allegations surfaced that the college engaged contractual faculty members working at the postgraduate level at ANU instead of employing eligible degree-level teaching faculty to evaluate the answer scripts.

Professor D. Ramachandran, Coordinator (Examinations) at the ANU Centre for Distance Education, told The Hindu that the university had arranged evaluators at the college’s request. He explained that the college had sought faculty members to evaluate papers in certain subjects for which suitable faculty were reportedly unavailable in degree colleges across the State. He added that the University Board of Studies, in coordination with the concerned departments, suggested the nine faculty members for the evaluation.

Professor Ramachandran acknowledged that recognised degree‑level faculty members were unavailable for the subjects concerned. He said the required recognition had to be granted by the Andhra Pradesh Commissionerate of Higher Education.

Consequently, chemistry and other science faculty members were engaged to evaluate answer scripts related to life sciences, prompting questions about their credibility.

Another allegation was that answer scripts had been sent to evaluators’ residences for correction instead of being evaluated at the designated college premises.

However, principal and founder of the college Prabhala Kishore denied the allegation. He maintained that no answer scripts had been sent to the residence of the evaluators and that all evaluators had visited the college and completed the evaluation work on its premises.

He said that the college management had explained its position to the university authorities and that the university could verify the facts if it had any doubts. Professor Ramachandran said further action would be taken if necessary.

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