Last Updated on December 10, 2021 at 4:56 pm
In a major step towards acting against the scams, government has ordered an investigation into functioning of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) study centres established in Jammu and Kashmir colleges.
This step comes after a major scam in functioning of these IGNOU centres came up and a complaint was submitted to the office of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Thus, an inquiry was ordered in this regard by Higher Education Department (HED).
As per the order issued by the then Secretary HED, the Director Finance HED has been appointed as Inquiry Officer to investigate the matter of the IGNOU centres in J&K colleges.
Order read that Director Colleges J&K Yasmeen Ashai would assist the Inquiry Officer for investigating into the functioning of IGNOU centers in various government degree colleges of J&K. Further the order read that inquiry Officer should submit a report within a month.
“The principal should be a co-signatory of all bills, including the conduct of term-end examination submitted to IGNOU,” the order said.
In the order, the HED further said that the term of the IGNOU coordinator should be restricted to only a year and added that the extension given to the coordinators leads to rise to corrupt activities and malpractices.
“The Principal and the Coordinator should ensure that only those academic counselors are engaged who fulfill the criteria of eligibility,” the order said.
The order further read that the coordinator and the principal should frame a system that ensures that assignment grades of only those learners are sent to the Regional Centre who submit the assignments. “The principals should ensure that the coordinators deposit the amount released by IGNOU for rent, seating arrangement, electricity, and water supply in the college chest,” the order said.
Also, it has been ordered that invigilators including the revolving invigilators and other supporting staff are appointed as per the IGNOU norms during the conduct of the examination.
