Aligarh: Following reports of irregularities, Aligarh Muslim University will shortly institute a time-bound inquiry to probe if due procedures were followed in all eleven centres for its MBBS and BDS exam for session 2015-16.
"The inquiry would investigate as to whether proper procedures were followed at all the 11 centres for the entrance test and also find out what actually transpired at the Kozhikode test centre," Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (retd) said.
"This time-bound enquiry will be conducted by a retired High Court judge," the VC said, adding that "a formal announcement of the inquiry will be made after the formalities have been worked out."
Indicating that he wanted the inquiry to be completed within a few weeks, Shah said, "The probe would also fix responsibility of any lapses which may have occurred."
Rebutting allegations that the University was "defaming any particular test centre," the VC asserted that till the report of the above enquiry is received, "we have no intention of casting aspersions on anybody."
On the basis of a preliminary report of an enquiry committee comprising three members of the Executive Council, AMU on May 28, cancelled the results of MBBS and BDS entrance test for the year 2015-16 conducted on April 26.
"It was a very difficult decision to cancel the entire admission test but it had to be taken in the interest of the transparency and the integrity of the entire admission process of this University," Shah told PTI.
"It is pertinent to point out that this decision was not taken on the basis of any external complaint. There is an in-built security structure within the University admission system which keeps monitoring the process," he said.
"Before declaring the results, it came to our notice that the success rate of the candidates at a particular centre was flagrantly high. It was defying laws of averages and logic. We therefore decided to take this extreme step," the VC said.
"Once we receive the enquiry report, we will immediately act as per law. If there is any prima facie evidence against any person, we will hand over the enquiry to the appropriate law enforcement agency," the AMU vice-chancellor said.
"No one will be spared because we are determined to trace the real culprit, if any," he said.
Informing about plans for a major structural changes in the entire admission test procedure, Shah said, "We intend to introduce a two-tier system of admission tests, which includes a preliminary test held at different centres all over the country followed by a main test at the campus itself."
It may be pointed out that the success rate at the Kozhikode test centre in Kerala was "five times higher than the average of the success rate at ten other centres in different parts of the country."
"Out of the 79 external candidates who would have been selected, 30 belonged to this particular centre and just 49 candidates would have been selected from ten other centres in different parts of the country," an official in the office of the Controller of Admissions and Examinations said.
He said that more than 46,000 candidates had appeared in the admission test which has been cancelled.
