By Rajesh Ghosh

Agra: BR Ambedkar University in Agra came in for a shock on Saturday as the private agency contracted to prepare the BEd results brought to light gross irregularities, highlighting that while around 12800 students enrolled to take the exam they received answer sheets of more than 20000 students.

The Vice-Chancellor of the varsity Mohd Muzammil called for an immediate probe to establish the reasons behind such absurdity, according to reports.

The blame has been swiftly put on the private college affiliates. These colleges allegedly admitted more students, on paper, than they had vacancies. This is a grave inconsistency as 191 BEd colleges affiliated with the varsity had previously claimed that 40% of their seats laid vacant for the 2013-14 academic year (exams taken on 2014-15).

Recently, another incident in Bihar highlighted the dismal state of the Indian Education system, where outsiders were seen climbing a wall of an examination center to illegally assist examinees. The incident gained worldwide media coverage.

A Supreme Court verdict earlier this year ordered 600,000 students to re-appear for the pre-medical exam as a fallout of the massive Vyapam scandal.

Many other such incidents across the country have brought in the public discourse a phenomenon that seems endemic. Many reports show the growing use of technology like micro-Bluetooth devices, scanning pens, stitched buttonhole cameras and good old tactics like bribing among others.

As India's economic growth attracts more foreign corporate investments, it must not ignore the structural infirmities of its education system.

India must not only increase its educational structures quantitatively but also qualitatively. Underemployment is a major problem in India as even graduates are unemployable as a result of their poor quality education.

India cannot afford to ignore a fundamental pillar of its society, for no country can advance into modernity without a robust educational system.