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Madhya Pradesh college in hot water after peon caught evaluating exam papers; probe leads to multiple terminations

The job was supposed to be handled by Khushboo Pagare, a guest lecturer for Hindi, but according to an internal probe, she outsourced the responsibility due to health issues.

Pagare allegedly paid Rs 7,000 to a college book-lifter to take over the task, who then passed it on to the peon, paying him Rs 5,000

At a government college in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district, the task of evaluating university exam answer sheets allegedly changed hands so many times that it ultimately landed with a peon—triggering a scandal that has shook the institution.

At the centre of the controversy is Shaheed Bhagat Singh Government PG College in Pipariya, where a video surfaced showing Pannalal Pathariya, a college peon, meticulously grading Hindi answer sheets. According to a Times of India report, Pathariya holds a master’s degree in English and was seen reviewing responses, making tick marks, and awarding scores. These are duties meant strictly for teaching staff.

The job was supposed to be handled by Khushboo Pagare, a guest lecturer for Hindi, but according to an internal probe, she outsourced the responsibility due to “health issues”. She allegedly paid Rs 7,000 to a college book-lifter, Rakesh Kumar Mehar, to take over the task. Mehar then passed the job along to the peon, paying him Rs 5,000 and keeping Rs 2,000 for himself.

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The matter came to light when students raised concerns and brought the video to the attention of local MLA Thakur Das Nagvanshi. Following a formal inquiry, the higher education department suspended Rakesh Kumar Verma, the principal and the evaluation nodal officer professor Ramghulam Patel. Pagare, Mehar and Pathariya were terminated on Wednesday.

In her written statement, Pagare confessed to delegating the evaluation, citing illness as the reason. However, the fallout has been swift and harsh.

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Principal Verma, who has already faced removal three times in the past three months, insists he’s being unfairly targeted. “All this action against me is politically motivated by local representatives who wanted to have me removed as principal,” he told Times of India. “The university directly appointed a nodal officer for evaluation… I had no role in it, nor did I receive any payment from the university.”

Verma has now approached the high court again, hoping for another stay. “Whatever happened in the evaluation may be wrong; it is a matter of investigation, but I have no role in it,” he said.