Cash for marks: Need 4 grace marks for your degree? Pay Punjab Tech University Rs5,000

For nearly 5,000 students of the Punjab Technical University’s distance education programme, Diwali has come almost three weeks earlier with a hefty price tag. The varsity is offering additional four grace marks to all those who had failed in one subject for a sum of Rs5,000.

The university has sent out an email to all students (a copy of which is available with dna), that says the students will be awarded extra grace marks in case their internal and external marks are short of the 40 per cent marks needed to pass the examination. The varsity offers to do this “keeping in view future of all students who could not complete their degree after failing in one subject,” and seeks a fee of Rs5,000 in cash or demand draft.

Jaspal Singh, PTU’s controller of examination, defended the move, saying many students anyway approach the university seeking additional grace marks. “This is the first time we have sent such a circular to more than 5,000 students studying in various learning centres across the country. It’s a decision taken by the committee of the university keeping in mind the future of the students. If a student has passed all the subjects but has failed in just one subject in any of the semesters, he or she can obtain four grace marks by filling up the application form and attaching copies of previous results. The amount we mentioned is the academic fee of the student and will be charged for issuing his result,” he said.

The PTU has over 200 colleges affiliated to it and more than 1,500 study centres all across India. Officials claim thousands of students will be benefited by this move by the university.
They admit the University Grants Commission (UGC) was not consulted before taking the step, but insist that the varsity is an autonomous body and hence could take the decision on its own.

“This move is not mentioned in norms of the UGC and is an independent decision of the university. PTU is an autonomous body affiliated to the UGC, which recognises colleges in India. The vice-chancellor has the right to take such a decision in favour of students as we are an independent body. Many students approach us for grace marks to pass their exam. Thousands of such students will be benefited by this method,” Singh added.