JOIN USHundreds of students, who cleared the MBA, MCA and other post-graduate examinations conducted by the university earlier this year, have been failed as the grace marks initially awarded to them were withdrawn suddenly.
The inexplicable action by BU authorities has left the students incensed and traumatised. The affected students had passed the examinations when the results were announced in March, 2011.
Now, two-and-a-half months later, they have been informed by their respective colleges that they could succeed because of the grace marks awarded to them.
Since the university’s Academic Council, at its meeting on November 4, 2010, abolished the grace marks system in toto for all courses, students who fell short on a few marks now stand failed.
Some of the affected students said the change in their results has shocked them.
A student of MBA 3rd Semester, from a college in Jayanagar 7th Block, had secured 30 marks in the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital subject when the results were first announced on March 17, 2011.
His aggregate in all courses that he took was 60 per cent. Following this, while applying for jobs in various companies he produced copies of the marks card.
But he was in for a rude shock when he visited his college on Wednesday.
A notice issued by the college authorities said that many students, who were declared successful in the initial results, stood failed as the grace marks awarded to them had been withdrawn by the Bangalore University.
“I can’t believe that the university can do such a thing. If the grace marks were to be withdrawn, why were they awarded in the first place? This has left me shocked,” said a student whose score in the particular subject was reduced to 28.
The case of his other classmates was no different. Their score in Finance 1 course came down from 30 to 29. Many students of MCA 3rd Semester in other colleges were also failed.
When asked about the volte-face, BU Registrar (Evaluation) T R Subramanya expressed ignorance about the issue. “It’s news to me. I don’t know anything about it,” he said. Repeated attempts to contact the Vice Chancellor N Prabhu Dev bore no fruit. It is learnt that the grace marks were awarded erroneously. And when the ‘error’ was realised, the varsity decided to set it right. The V-C had recommended the abolition of grace marks as many evaluators used to blackmail the students and accept bribes from them.