UP students write 'Jai Shri Ram', cricketers' names in answer sheets, get over 50% marks

A RIGHT To Information (RTI) request has brought to light that some students at a state university in Uttar Pradesh were awarded over 50 per cent marks for writing "Jai Shri Ram" and the names of some Indian cricketers on their answer sheets.

The incident occurred at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, a state university in UP's Jaunpur. 

According to sources cited by a report in the Deccan Herald, the university has now ordered the expulsion of two teachers who were involved in passing the students.

As per the report, the matter came to light when the former university student, Divyanshu Singh, filed an RTI demanding re-evaluation of the answer sheets of 18 students of the first-year pharmacy course. 

Free Press Journal reported that the incident occurred last August. According to the report, it was discovered that students with the barcodes 4149113, 4149154, 4149158, and 4149217 were awarded 56 per cent marks for writing "Jai Shri Ram pass ho jaayein" along with the names of cricketers including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, among others, on their answer sheets. 

Deccan Herald in its report said that upon re-examining the answer sheets of the four students, they received zero marks. 

As per the FPJ report, Singh accused the teachers of taking money and allowing the students to pass even though they had not written the correct answers. In this regard, Singh also sent a letter to the Raj Bhavan, following an investigation ordered by the Raj Bhavan in December 2023. 

The report further said that after eight months, the investigation was completed, and the findings were presented to the committee, which concluded that the allegations against the two teachers were true. 

The University's vice-chancellor has said that the university will take further action against the two teachers once the official letter from the Raj Bhavan is received.