A major corruption case has surfaced at Rani Channamma University, centering on alleged tender manipulation and bribery in the procurement of marks cards and degree certificates. An RTI activist, Dattatreya Kulkarni from Bengaluru, has approached the Lokayukta, accusing senior university officials of collusion with private printing firms in what is described as a multi-crore irregularity.
Who is accused
- Vice-Chancellor: Prof. C.M. Thyagaraja
- Registrar: Santosh Kamagouda
- Former Registrar (Evaluation): Ravindranath N. Kadam
- Finance Officer: M.A. Sapna
- Private printing vendors (unnamed in the complaint)
Tender timeline and cost escalation (at a glance)
- Initial tender estimate: ₹5.18 crore
- Revised estimate: ₹7.18 crore
- Final award value: ₹6.44 crore
- Alleged bribes siphoned: ~₹2.00 crore
Pricing red flags
- Teslin paper price paid by RCU: ₹66 per unit
- Price paid by other universities (benchmark): ~₹35 per unit
- Allegation: Inferior material supplied while claiming higher durability and tear resistance
Process and compliance issues
- Quality checks: Inspection and verification reports allegedly altered to approve substandard material
- Legal violation cited: Outsourcing examination-related work to private vendors—contrary to a Karnataka High Court order aimed at preventing malpractice
- Policy ignored: Higher Education Department directive mandating digital marks cards and degree certificates via NAD/DigiLocker; physical printing continued instead
Procurement law concerns
- Applicable law: Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act
- Mandatory platform bypassed: Karnataka Public Procurement Portal (KPPP)
- Platform used: Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
- Allegation: Use of GeM in this case reduced transparency and wider public scrutiny
Why it matters
- Financial impact: Significant public funds allegedly misused
- Academic integrity risk: Outsourcing exam processes heightens malpractice concerns
- Governance lapse: Multiple statutory and departmental directives reportedly ignored
The Lokayukta complaint seeks a comprehensive probe into financial irregularities, procurement violations, and accountability of the officials involved.
