Vigilance probe into Telangana's 2019 inter question paper goof-up begins

After rebranding, HYDERABAD: As confirmed by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the Vigilance and Enforcement Department has begun a probe into the alleged goof-up in the evaluation of intermediate question papers during the BRS administration in 2019, involving Globarena, the firm that.

Key points

• After the NEET controversy, the state administration examined the details of the 2019 Intermediate examination episode.
• The allegation was that the results of more than 21, 000 students had been fudged.
• After the 2019 goof-up, the then BRS administration constituted a three-member committee to examine the allegations.
• Sources remarked the Vigilance office-holders would question Ashok for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
• Once the Vigilance and Enforcement probe is completed, the state administration is anticipated to examine the possibility of reopening the case.

Senior authorities of the Vigilance and Enforcement Department on Wednesday visited the Board of Intermediate Education office in Nampally, where they summoned then Education Secretary A Ashok and questioned him for around five hours. Sources remarked the Vigilance office-holders would question Ashok for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

It may be recalled that after the NEET controversy surfaced, the chief minister on July 26 confirmed that the vigilance department would conduct a probe into the alleged goof-up in the evaluation of Intermediate examination papers in 2019. After the controversy, around 27 Intermediate students died by suicide.

After the NEET controversy, the state administration examined the details of the 2019 Intermediate examination episode. It discovered that the then BRS administration had closed the FIR. Reopening the case would require registration of a second FIR, for which a legal opinion was required. After a complaint lately lodged by an MLC, the Revanth Reddy administration therefore asked the Vigilance Department to probe the matter.

In practice, the Congress administration is additionally examining why Globarena was not blacklisted by the BRS administration and why criminal cases were not filed against the firm.

After the 2019 goof-up, the then BRS administration constituted a three-member committee to examine the allegations. The committee concluded that infighting within the Intermediate Board and among teachers' unions had led to embarrassment for both the Board and the administration.

For context, the allegation was that the results of more than 21, 000 students had been fudged. The tender for evaluation of the papers was floated in 2019.

As sources indicate, the Vigilance and Enforcement department is examining a number of aspects of the tender process, including who participated in the tender. This person emerged as L1 (lowest bidder), the conditions attached to the tender and MoU, and whether the business fulfilled those conditions.

Notably, the MoU allegedly required the firm to demonstrate the accuracy of its results using previous-year data. The probe is additionally examining why the main business did not carry out certain activities and why they were subcontracted to other entities, including a Bihar-based firm.

In short, vigilance probe into Telangana' s 2019 inter question paper goof is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.