CPI demands judicial probe into Telangana intermediate result goof-up case

The CPI Friday demanded that the Telangana government initiate a high-level judicial probe in the alleged goof-up in the intermediate results that led 25 students to commit suicide in the state.

CPI National Secretary K Narayana said the state government should ban the Globarina Technology company that was roped in by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad (JNTUH) for evaluation of intermediate answer papers.

He not only sought suspension of the state education minister but also requested the government to pay ex-gratia amount of Rs 1 crore to each of the bereaved families of the student who died after declaration of intermediate results.

"As many as 25 students have committed suicide. A student who obtained 99 per cent was shown as having secured zero and even those who obtained 33 per cent were shown as having secured zero. These lapses by Globarina has led to students' suicide," Narayana told reporters here.

Demanding a high-level enquiry into the matter, the CPI leader claimed the party had informed the state governor way back in 2015 that Globarina was a "bogus" company and thereafter the agreement with JNTUH was cancelled.

"However, it is most unfortunate that Telangana government entered into an agreement with the same company for valuation of intermediate answer sheets. It is quite evident that there are connection between politicians and corporate companies," he alleged.

A high-level commission should be constituted with sitting judge of the High Court immediately to probe into the matter, he added.

"They have to handover the completed results CD to the Intermediate Board. The corrected answer sheets should be made public. Due to the haphazard and callous behaviour of the Intermediate Board and Globarina, precious lives of student were ruined," he said.

Usually after completion of inter exams, qualified lecturers undertake valuation of answer sheets. The valuation job has been outsourced to a private company in the absence of enough permanent lecturers in the state, he added.

Amid the uproar over the suicides, the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) Sunday said it has carried out an analysis of the scripts of students who had allegedly committed suicide and found that none of the cases was linked to error in publication of the exam results.

The board said there was no truth in reports that suicides were due to error in the publication of results.