Ajmer, Rajasthan – The campus of Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University (MDSU) has become a hub of student protest for nearly a week, following the release of first-semester exam results that students are calling deeply flawed and inaccurate. From being marked absent for exams they attended to receiving impossibly low scores, students are demanding immediate action and accountability from the university administration.
From High Scores to Single Digits: The Shocking Discrepancies
The core of the students’ anger lies in glaring errors that have thrown their academic careers into question. Many who appeared for their exams were stunned to find their results marked as ‘Absent’. Others reported bizarre marking that defied logic.
“I secured 80 in Botany and 75 in Zoology, but in Chemistry, I was given 2 marks,” shared a baffled Sania Sharma, an MDSU student from Bhilwara. “How is that even possible when I am scoring well in two subjects, but the performance in the third subject is so poor?”
Sania’s case is not an isolated one. Students, particularly those from affiliated colleges in other cities, have come forward with similar stories, suggesting a systemic failure in the evaluation process. They allege that their answer sheets were not checked thoroughly, leading to these inexplicable results.
A Personal Toll and Allegations of Foul Play
The errors are not just academic; they are causing significant personal distress. One student from a rural area in Bhilwara shared her ordeal anonymously: “I was present in the exam and even signed the attendance sheet… but when the result was declared, it showed that I was absent. My parents are now questioning where I was during the exam. How do I explain to them that this is not my fault?”
Student unions have joined the protest, escalating the issue. The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has demanded a full-scale inquiry into the result errors and has called for the controversial semester system to be scrapped. Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has alleged a more cynical motive, suggesting the errors are a tactic to “earn additional money” by forcing students to pay for revaluation and retotaling of their answer sheets.
“Till now, the university has not taken any proper action,” said NSUI functionary Jaber Khan. “This has caused resentment among the students. The exam results should be investigated impartially, and action should be taken against those guilty.”
University Promises Investigation
Faced with daily protests and growing outrage, the university administration has finally responded. On Monday, Vice-Chancellor Prof SK Agarwal met with the protesting students. He accepted a memorandum outlining their demands and gave them a firm assurance.
Prof. Agarwal promised that the university would act solely in the students’ best interests and that all complaints would be thoroughly investigated to uncover the root cause of the discrepancies. The students, however, remain vigilant, waiting to see if these promises translate into concrete action and corrected results.
