Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore - Pics Praveen Tauro Kulshekar

Mangalore, Jul 21: The management of St Agnes PU College, at a press conference held in the Press Club on Friday evening, sought to clarify over the media reports about alleged manipulation of result of a First PU student, Yashwatha.

Social activist Hanumant Kamath had alleged at a press conference on Thursday that Yashwatha's failure was manipulated for the purpose of charging donation by way of a new admission. Reports to this effect had appeared in the media on Thursday and Friday.

PU College principal Sr Linette clarified that the charges were not true and that it appeared to be "a clear plot to malign the good reputation that the College had earned over the past 80 years."

The principal, to clarify the matter further, produced documentary evidence which showed that Yashwatha, a student who passed out from St Agnes' very own high school section and joined St Agnes PU College with 77% marks had lagged behind in the I PUC as a Science student right from the beginning, culminating in her failure in the annual examination.

Sr Linette also added that Yashwatha was being personally helped to overcome her shortcomings. The results of the I PUC valuation are announced in the college, only after being attested by the deputy director of PU education (DDPUE). Once the attestation is done, the college ceases to have any right over the result, the principal said.

Yashwatha's marks had remained the same before and after the submission of marks to the office of the DDPUE, as per enclosure 2 provided at the press conference, says the college management.

Donation canard nailed

Subsequently, a commission appointed by the DDPUE secretly did the revaluation of Yashwatha's answer script and result was declared as 'Failed'. The college had no connection whatsover with this result as it is the from the department, as proved in the enclosure 3.

Further she clarified that  the PU college was not collecting any donation for its classes. Since the salaries of only three teaching staff were being funded by the government and all the rest were being paid by the management, the latter's salaries had to be paid from the fees collected from the students, she added. She also said that being an old student of the high school, Yashwatha should have shown greater sense of responsibility, while both she and her parents were very well aware that the college collects only annual fees and no donation is collected.

Mulling defamation

Sr Linette also revealed that the institution has been in consultation with legal experts to contemplate a defamation suit against the persons who have "acted with such irresponsibility, deliberately trying to sully the reputation of the institution has earned over many decades of service in the field of education."

Questioned about the alterations in the marks given in the answer paper at several places, the principal said it was done by a commission of three persons constituted by the DDPUE and there was nothing intentional about it.

A C Educational Society joint secretary Sr M Shalini, members of the parent-teachers' association (PTA) and Titus Noronha of Rahul Advertisers were present on the occasion.