Kannur University faces allegations over premature result leak

Kannur University, which recently achieved the milestone of publishing the first-semester results of its four-year degree programme within eight days of the final exams, has been embroiled in a controversy following allegations of a premature result leak.

Kerala Students Union (KSU) vice-president P. Muhammad Shammas alleged that the results were circulating on student WhatsApp groups around 3.30 p.m. on December 19, hours before the official release at 7 p.m. He said the university hastily announced the results to manage the situation following this.

Mr. Shammas attributed the breach to flaws in the K-Reap project, managed by Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL) under the Higher Education Ministry’s oversight. He claimed the project had systemic lapses and bypassed procedural norms.

Kannur University defended its achievement, highlighting the efficient use of the K-Reap platform, which enabled result publication for 51 programmes without technical glitches. Results were staggered to ensure smooth access for students and college Principals. Officials acknowledged that the results were temporarily visible on Principals’ profiles during internal testing, with instructions against sharing them before the scheduled release.

The controversy escalated when a result accessed by a Principal was prematurely shared, leading to accusations of a “leak”. Vice-Chancellor K.K. Saju announced an inquiry to identify procedural lapses and prevent future occurrences.

Meanwhile, the Save University Campaign Committee alleged that the MKCL bypassed the university Syndicate approval, violating Section 25(15) of the University Act. It criticised the university for focussing on college Principals instead of addressing MKCL’s role.

The committee has submitted a petition to the Vice-Chancellors of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi, Calicut, and Kannur universities, raising concerns about the implementation of the Kerala Resources for Education Administration and Planning (K-REAP) 

Additionally, the committee demanded that the service responsibilities of the K-Reap software be handed over to the Digital University to ensure transparency and efficiency in university examination process.

The petition highlights growing concerns over the effectiveness of outsourcing examination management and calls for immediate action to safeguard the integrity of the university evaluation system.