Agnes student forced to lose a year

By CT reporter
MANGALORE : Here is an instance to prove to what extent our higher authorities can be apthetic that they can even hesitate to deliver justice in a case where the guilt of the other party is amply proved.
This is the cae of Yashwatha, a I PUC student of St Agnes College during the last academic year. The girl was deliberately failed by the college authorities in the first PUC exams, as has been proved following scrutiny of her answer sheet. But still, the college has refused to pass the student. On the other hand, even the deputy director of the pre-university education department has hesitated to issue suitable instructions to the college authorities thereby forcing Yashwatha to lose one valuable year.
Yashwatha is a student hailing from a poor family with her mother working as a sweeper in a private company on a temporary basis.
What actually happened?
When Yashwatha had been to see the results along with her friends, she found that she had failed much to her disappointment. Not only she, but three others had also failed. But Yashwatha who was optmistic applied to have a look at the answer sheet and it came to light that she was deliberately given less marks. Even though the matter was brought to the notice of the principal, it did not help much. The student then approached Hanumantha Kamath, President of the Nagarika Hitharakshana Samithi.
Responding immediately, Kamath met the college principal and requested her to secure justice to the student. But, when that failed, he got her answer sheet corrected by experienced lecturers from other colleges including Canara PU College, Besant and Government pre-university college. The student secured pass marks in the valuation by all these lecturers. But, the tragedy is that she could not pass in her own college. This makes it ample clear that the student was deliberately failed. What has been gathered of late is that during the current academic year, admissions have been given to four new students to II PUC by securing a donation of Rs 25000 each. It is now suspected that Yashwatha and three others were failed just to give way for these new students.
Hanumanth Kamath says the deputy director of the PU education department despite being aware of the irregularities in the St Agnes College and the injustice done to the student,has remained mum and wants Lokayukta to take serious note of this case.