Purnea University (PU) has suspended its former Controller of Examination (COE) Prof. Ajay Kumar Pandey after a fact-finding team revealed serious irregularities in the evaluation of examination scripts for the 2023-24 academic sessions. The interim report, submitted to PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Vivekanand Singh, exposed that the university’s exams for undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD entrance courses were evaluated without teachers, leading to the publication of results that lacked proper evaluation.
The investigation into the irregularities began after concerns were raised about the conduct of examinations under Prof. Ajay Kumar Pandey’s leadership. A fact-finding team was set up on February 17, 2025, and its interim report, submitted on March 21, revealed that examination scripts were evaluated without the involvement of faculty members. As a result of these findings, Prof. Ajay Kumar Pandey was removed from his post as COE on April 6, 2025.
The report detailed how the examination process was undermined during Prof. Ajay Kumar Pandey’s tenure. It claimed that the publication of results, without proper evaluation, was done hastily to create an impression of efficiency. The irregularities have led to a tarnished reputation for the relatively young university, which was established in 2018 with the aim of providing quality education to underprivileged students in the Seemanchal region. The university covers four districts and 37 colleges, including 15 constituent colleges, 19 affiliated colleges, and three law colleges.
In light of these findings, PU Vice Chancellor Prof. Vivekanand Singh suspended Prof. Ajay Kumar Pandey on April 19, 2025, and directed him to serve at Marwari College in Kishanganj during the suspension period. The Chancellor’s office has been informed of this decision. Prof. Ajay Kumar Pandey, a physics professor, had been appointed as the COE on March 1, 2024, but his tenure was marked by controversy. His removal highlights the university’s effort to address these serious issues and restore trust in the academic integrity of its examination process.
These revelations have raised alarm about the fairness and transparency of the examination system at PU, a university that had aimed to provide accessible education to a large number of students in Seemanchal.
