More than half of the 70-odd final year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) students failed in the viva voce of the paper Building Construction (Semester IX). The 150-marks paper has 90 marks allotted to viva voce (36 being the passing marks for the orals).

According to Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university Dr Naresh Chandra, the students have complained that the viva voce of all the 70-odd students was rushed through and was over in merely three-and-a-half hours, which means each student hardly got three minutes. Plus, the students alleged, there were disparities in the external and internal assessment marks, as a result of which even the toppers had failed.

The exam tookplace on November 11, 1998, and the results were out on March 12 this year. On March 17, the students, in a written representation submitted their grievances to the university through their college principal.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor said the BoE in its meeting on March 22 took cognisance of the matter and decided to institute an inquiry committee. The committee comprises Dean of science faculty Dr R T Laul, former Dean of technological faculty Dr S Sundaram and chairperson, Ad-hoc Board of Studies in Architecture, Prof C K Gumaste. Prof Uttam Jain from the architecture faculty has declined the varsity's offer to be part of the committee.

The committee is expected to submit its report within a couple of days, Dr Chandra said.