Colleges warned against charging extra for marking practical journals

Senior official says multiple complaints received about govt college staff demanding Rs50 to check science journals

Karachi

The provincial director general for colleges, Dr Nasir Ansar, on Tuesday warned government colleges against charging Rs50 from students on the pretext of marking practical journals of Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology and Computer Science subjects in Karachi.

Dr Ansar said his office had received complaints that the staff, including principals, of a few government colleges had been collecting money from students on the pretext of marking their practical journals. While issuing a warning to those colleges, he said such corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Talking to The News on Tuesday, he said, practical journals were marked individually and every student had to bring it for scrutiny on the day of his or her viva exam. “Hence, practical journals are part of the examination system and every student submits on the day of practical and viva exam. The collection of money from students on the pretext of preliminary examinations in the colleges is tantamount to gross misconduct and is liable to be punished according to the Government Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 1973.”

In this regard, the directorate of colleges on Tuesday also issued a strict warning to all colleges against collecting any extra fee from students. Otherwise, it was said, severe action will be taken against those found violating these directives.

Over the past few weeks, the directorate of colleges had received several complaints about the practice of charging students Rs50 for getting their practical journals checked.

“The students had no choice by to comply or risk losing 15 precious marks allocated for practical and viva exam. If the practical journal is not checked, the student cannot appear in the mandatory viva exam,” an assistant professor who works at a government college told The News, on the condition of anonymity. “Charging students for marking practical journals is tantamount to taking bribes.”

Muhammad Haris, father of a student enrolled in a college situated along the main University Road, told The News that when he went to meet the principal of the college when his daughter informed him that Rs 50 had to be paid for the scrutiny of each practical journal.

“My daughter said if she did not pay the demanded Rs50, then she might not get marked for the practical exam,” he said. “But when I met the principal, she told me that the college was being lenient by charging only Rs50 and not Rs100! She clearly told me to go to other colleges that were charging Rs100 for the checking of each practical journal.”

Another parent remarked that instead of taking action against invigilators blatantly violating rules, the principal of his child’s college justified the practice.

Parents had written to the directorate of colleges and DG colleges Dr Ansar on Tuesday issued a notification to all government colleges with a strict warning for abiding by the rules, otherwise face action.