Maharashtra government orders inquiry into Covid stamp on degree certificates

The state agriculture department has announced that it will remove the stamp ‘Promoted Covid-19’ from the mark sheets issued to the third-year degree students who

The state agriculture department has announced that it will remove the stamp ‘Promoted Covid-19’ from the mark sheets issued to the third-year degree students who have been promoted based on their aggregate marks. Amid widespread criticism from students and organisations, the department also announced strict action against the officials responsible for this marking.

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The Covid stamp was used on mark sheets issued by Shri Shivaji Agriculture College in Amravati, governed by Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Agriculture University. Several students and student organisations expressed their discontent over the issue and also announced plans to challenge it in court. Former education minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashish Shelar also criticised the state government, calling the move unjust.

Taking cognizance, state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray spoke to agriculture minister Dadaji Bhuse and asked him to rectify the mistake. Bhuse later directed the agriculture university to withdraw the mark sheets and issue fresh ones.

“I have asked the university to rectify the mistake and issue mark sheets and certificates without any such marking. The action was taken immediately after we learnt about the mark sheets issued with the stamp. The university has also been directed to conduct an inquiry and take action against the official responsible,” Bhuse said. The minister has written a letter to the director-general of Maharashtra Council of Agriculture Education and Research, and vice-chancellors of the agriculture universities.

The state government had already announced that it would not conduct final-year exams in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Students are being promoted on aggregate marks with 50% valuation of marks from the first two years, and a 50% average of the internal assessment of the third year.