DU Orders Probe After 500 NCWEB Students Fail Exam; Protests Erupt At Jesus And Mary College

Delhi University has launched a probe after 500 NCWEB students failed exams at Jesus and Mary College.

DU orders probe after 500 NCWEB students fail exams. (Representative Image)

Source : ABPLIVE AI

New Delhi: Delhi University (DU) has launched an investigation after nearly 500 students from the Non-Collegiate Women’s Education Board (NCWEB) failed an exam conducted and evaluated by Jesus and Mary College (JMC), as reported by news agency PTI.

The college administration has also approached Delhi Police against a staff member over alleged discrepancies. Neither NCWEB nor JMC has officially commented on the issue.

Hundreds of affected students, joined by DUSU members from ABVP, staged a protest outside the college on Monday, demanding justice. The demonstrators raised slogans against the college administration and displayed posters calling for action.

According to a DU official, the issue surfaced when first- and second-year students reported being marked as "failed," "Essential Repeat" (ER), or "absent" despite appearing for the exams.

Protesters claimed they had performed well in the exams and accused the college of mishandling their results. They demanded access to their answer sheets and immediate corrections.

"For the past year, our college has faced ongoing issues with ERs in results. Despite attending exams, students are being marked 'ER' or 'Fail'," said Vidhi Chaudhari, an NCWEB student.

She added that the college repeatedly assured students the issue would be resolved but is now asking them to retake the ER exams despite evidence of passing.

DU Academic Council member Maya John called the situation a sign of a systemic crisis, pointing to similar complaints from NCWEB students at other colleges. She emphasized the need for structural reforms, such as establishing a dedicated Examination Branch for NCWEB centres, akin to those proposed for the School of Open Learning.

A senior DU official confirmed the probe and urged JMC to resolve the discrepancies swiftly. "If students have genuinely failed, we cannot intervene. However, for cases of false failure markings, we have instructed the college to make corrections and release revised results," the official stated.

The official also revealed that JMC has filed a complaint against a staff member allegedly responsible for discrepancies in record-keeping.

The NCWEB initiative allows women to pursue degrees through weekend classes at select DU colleges. These centres manage classroom facilities and examinations for the enrolled students.

Despite the outcry, there has been no response from JMC’s principal or NCWEB director Geeta Bhatt regarding the allegations.