UP Students Clear Exams with ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Cricketers’ Names in Answers

In a shocking revelation at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, first-year students allegedly resorted to unconventional tactics to ace their exams, including writing ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and the names of cricketers in their answer sheets. However, their actions were met with consequences as two professors were suspended for allegedly extorting money from students in exchange for marks.

The incident came to light when student leader Divyanshu Singh raised concerns in a letter addressed to high-ranking officials, accusing university officials of conniving to pass even those students who had scored zero marks by awarding them more than 60 percent. Irregularities were exposed through an RTI response, revealing significant variations in marks upon re-evaluation of special bank copies.

Vice-Chancellor Vandana Singh acknowledged the allegations, stating that a committee had been formed to investigate the matter, which confirmed that students had indeed been awarded more marks. Regarding the inclusion of religious slogans in answer sheets, she noted that while she hadn’t seen the specific copy with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ answers, some copies were illegible, making it difficult to justify the marks awarded.

Following the investigation, the Raj Bhavan intervened, directing the university to take action against those involved. As reported by NDTV, ‘Jai Shri Ram’ appeared in an answer about ‘pharmacy as a career’, alongside the names of cricketers like Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.

The examiners responsible for overseeing these irregularities, Dr. Vinay Verma and Manish Gupta, faced suspension during an examination committee meeting. Vice-Chancellor Vandana Singh emphasized that while teachers had been warned against such misconduct, further actions, including termination, would be considered once the model code of conduct is lifted.