MIRED IN LARGER CONTROVERSY
Now, Anna University’s transcripts deal with pvt firm under scanner
Ram Sundaram & Siddharth Prabhakar TNN
Chennai:05.08.2018
An internal committee of Anna University set up by vice-chancellor M K Surappa is investigating a Memorandum of Understanding signed by suspended professor GV Uma during her tenure as controller of examinations (CoE), with Chennai-based start-up Myeasydocs which provides transcripts online.
The committee is also looking into suspected irregularities committed during Uma’s tenure as CoE from March 2015 to 2018.
The committee collected relevant documents and carried out an inquiry with the firm recently to check if the university bylaws had been followed when the MoU was inked in March 2016, during M Rajaram’s tenure as vice-chancellor, multiple sources from the government told TOI.
As the committee is not convinced with the firm’s reply in connection with the substantial revenue collected by it for providing transcripts online, it may recommend termination of the MoU. In its place, a recently developed in-house online portal may be put to use.
Transcripts, which contain students’ consolidated marksheets and other academic details attested by authorities, are pre-requisites when a candidate applies for universities abroad. Some corporate firms in India also insist on transcripts as a part of their due diligence procedures.
‘PORTAL AMATEURISH’
Company’s founder claims it is ‘evolving’, says it will get better
On an average, close to 15,000 students from Anna University apply for transcripts every year, according to official data. In order to help former students settled abroad, the university in 2016 reportedly introduced an online portal to help them get these transcripts.
The MoU allows myeasydocs to collect an amount on a par with the application fee (₹200-₹500 per person) as processing fee from candidates. The MoU was valid for three years.
A senior university official said the portal was amateurish compared to the other options available in-house and the market. “The firm provided printouts of the filled-in online application forms and uploaded the final document after the CoE office handed it over. This doesn’t warrant such a high processing fee,” he said.
When contacted by TOI, Avira Thakran, founder and chief executive officer of myeasydocs who signed the MoU on behalf of the firm, said it was an ‘evolving process’ and that they were making their portal better.
“It was unfortunate that we got encircled in the ongoing controversy at Anna University at a time when we are doing well with other universities, including University of Calicut, Kannur University and Stella Maris College. We were facing losses because of our Anna University operations and we are ready to wind up if the MoU is terminated,” said Thakran. Students would suffer if the firm’s services were terminated as they would have to travel all the way from the US, Canada or Dubai to get their documents manually at university counters in Chennai, he said.
University sources said the firm had access to personal data of former students and advertised them through phone calls. Thakran rejected this allegation stating that the firm’s database had contact numbers of only those who inquired with them. However, a parent told TOI he had never approached myeasydocs for assistance, but received an advertisement call from it.
The firm’s website claims other state-run varsities like University of Madras and Bharathiar University were on board with it. But, when contacted University of Madras vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said the university did not have an MoU with the firm and that they would investigate the web link.
To this, Thakran said their relationship with University of Madras was ‘unofficial’. “We only help students to get the documents by taking an authorisation letter from them allowing the firm to take care of their work,” he said. University officials said there was no provision for such an arrangement.
Now, Anna University’s transcripts deal with pvt firm under scanner
Ram Sundaram & Siddharth Prabhakar TNN
Chennai:05.08.2018
An internal committee of Anna University set up by vice-chancellor M K Surappa is investigating a Memorandum of Understanding signed by suspended professor GV Uma during her tenure as controller of examinations (CoE), with Chennai-based start-up Myeasydocs which provides transcripts online.
The committee is also looking into suspected irregularities committed during Uma’s tenure as CoE from March 2015 to 2018.
The committee collected relevant documents and carried out an inquiry with the firm recently to check if the university bylaws had been followed when the MoU was inked in March 2016, during M Rajaram’s tenure as vice-chancellor, multiple sources from the government told TOI.
As the committee is not convinced with the firm’s reply in connection with the substantial revenue collected by it for providing transcripts online, it may recommend termination of the MoU. In its place, a recently developed in-house online portal may be put to use.
Transcripts, which contain students’ consolidated marksheets and other academic details attested by authorities, are pre-requisites when a candidate applies for universities abroad. Some corporate firms in India also insist on transcripts as a part of their due diligence procedures.
‘PORTAL AMATEURISH’
Company’s founder claims it is ‘evolving’, says it will get better
On an average, close to 15,000 students from Anna University apply for transcripts every year, according to official data. In order to help former students settled abroad, the university in 2016 reportedly introduced an online portal to help them get these transcripts.
The MoU allows myeasydocs to collect an amount on a par with the application fee (₹200-₹500 per person) as processing fee from candidates. The MoU was valid for three years.
A senior university official said the portal was amateurish compared to the other options available in-house and the market. “The firm provided printouts of the filled-in online application forms and uploaded the final document after the CoE office handed it over. This doesn’t warrant such a high processing fee,” he said.
When contacted by TOI, Avira Thakran, founder and chief executive officer of myeasydocs who signed the MoU on behalf of the firm, said it was an ‘evolving process’ and that they were making their portal better.
“It was unfortunate that we got encircled in the ongoing controversy at Anna University at a time when we are doing well with other universities, including University of Calicut, Kannur University and Stella Maris College. We were facing losses because of our Anna University operations and we are ready to wind up if the MoU is terminated,” said Thakran. Students would suffer if the firm’s services were terminated as they would have to travel all the way from the US, Canada or Dubai to get their documents manually at university counters in Chennai, he said.
University sources said the firm had access to personal data of former students and advertised them through phone calls. Thakran rejected this allegation stating that the firm’s database had contact numbers of only those who inquired with them. However, a parent told TOI he had never approached myeasydocs for assistance, but received an advertisement call from it.
The firm’s website claims other state-run varsities like University of Madras and Bharathiar University were on board with it. But, when contacted University of Madras vice-chancellor P Duraisamy said the university did not have an MoU with the firm and that they would investigate the web link.
To this, Thakran said their relationship with University of Madras was ‘unofficial’. “We only help students to get the documents by taking an authorisation letter from them allowing the firm to take care of their work,” he said. University officials said there was no provision for such an arrangement.
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