Ranchi, Sept. 3: Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) has recommended severe disciplinary action, including debarment from evaluation for life, against 298 teachers found to have indulged in malpractices while marking this year's matriculation and intermediate exams, making it the state regulatory body's strongest move to wipe out the money-for-marks malaise.

Today, two days before Teachers' Day and four days before his three-year tenure ends (September 7), JAC chairman Anand Bhushan said they had finalised recommendations and sent them to the state government, a move he hoped would go a long way to make evaluations transparent.

Giving a break-up, he said 256 teachers with "least serious" offences would be showcaused, 17 put under censure category and strictly monitored during future evaluation assignments, 10 blacklisted for three years and 15 banned from correcting exam sheets for life.

"We decided on the four kinds of penalty based on the severity of the crime, ranging from mistakes to deliberate bribe-taking. I have personally come across some learned teachers who have bluntly admitted to have taken money in lieu of awarding high marks to chosen candidates," Bhushan said. "They have been recommended for the three-year blacklist or lifelong ban."

Hoping that the state seal on the recommendations comes through soon, he said: "From our end, we are serving showcause to all of them now."

It was high time, he added, that the JAC sent out a strong message to society that matriculation and intermediate marks were "not for sale".

Referring to a case in Jamtara, Bhushan said the district administration had initiated an FIR at their behest against one Vikram Mandal and others of Nala Inter College where they discovered over 60 copies of physics and maths with similar answers and handwriting.

"The shocking matter came to my notice in May. Silently, we initiated action from our end. We brought this to the notice of the Jamtara district administration, which acted promptly against the college. Some of the employees are on the run now and soon the administration would attach their property," he said.

He added that poignant events did happen. "Sometime back, I received an anonymous letter from a teacher who accepted he had earned money from evaluations and was on his deathbed," he said.

With less than a week left for his departure from JAC, Bhushan said he was satisfied with his stint.

"I think we have not just published results on time, but accurately and without foul play," he claimed.

"The money-making business during exams is almost on the verge of extinction and this crackdown, once it gets the state go-ahead, will further the dent morale of people who indulge in these acts," he added.

He also underlined a host of JAC initiatives to not just improve results, but also quality of question papers, teachers and exam processes.

"From next year, JAC will begin fully computerised evaluation for intermediate science as pilot project followed by arts and commerce. JAC board has cleared this proposal and we have worked out modalities. Come computerised evaluation, and my dream of corruption-free evaluation system will come true," he said.

"Enhanced professionalism among JAC employees," Bhushan said when asked to highlight the foremost success of his tenure, and hoped the state government would "seriously consider" the future of 75 per cent casual staff.