Tuesday, Apr 20, 2010
Chennai: Setting aside an order of Anna University-Coimbatore in March this year, cancelling the first year B.E. examinations written by students of a technology institution in Krishnagiri, the Madras High Court has remitted the matter back to the competent authority of the university.

The authority would decide afresh as to whether any action was warranted on the high percentage of pass in first semester B.E. examinations. In the writ petitions, the Archana Institute of Technology, Thimmapuram, Krishnagiri, and its students submitted that the management was granted approval to conduct four branches of engineering courses in B.E. from 2009-10 for two years. The institution was granted provisional affiliation for conducting undergraduate courses for 2009-10 with a sanctioned strength of 60 students in each branch and admitted 124 students. They wrote the first semester in January. All, except one, passed in all subjects, obtaining 85 to 90 per cent marks. The college issued an advertisement proudly announcing the achievement and congratulating the students. Following a complaint from the Association of Management of Coimbatore Anna University Affiliated Colleges, the university appointed a committee to go through the answer sheets of the 123 students. Based on the panel's report stating there had been mass copying, the university cancelled the exams and ordered re-examination in May 2010.