Balasore: A guest faculty at a government-run technical college in Remuna has been dismissed from service for allegedly resorting to mischief and writing on the answer sheet of a student.

Satya Bidanta, who was on invigilation duty, allegedly wrote the student's mobile number on the answer sheet asking the examiner to contact him. While checking the answer sheet, the examiner treated this as malpractice and did not award the student any marks. Nayak is in the fifth semester of diploma in engineering and had appeared in the examination in December last year.

Shocked at getting zero in the paper, the student, Soumya Ranjan Nayak, took up the issue with the principal of the government polytechnic college in Balasore.

The principal, Abhay Kumar Malik , ordered an inquiry into the incident after Nayak requested him to re-evaluate the paper in which he had scored zero. During re-evaluation it was found that Nayak had got 53 marks in the paper out of 75. However, he was awarded zero for writing his mobile number on the answer sheet and requesting the examiner to call him over phone.

Malik said: "Answer sheets shouldn't contain anything except the answers. Although Nayak had scored 53 out of 75, a mobile number was written on the answer sheet and this was considered as malpractice. Therefore, he was given zero mark in that paper." "When he came to know about it, the student suspected foul play by the Bidanta. He lodged a complaint against him and a six-member team was formed to inquire into the incident. It was found that Bidanta was the invigilator on that day and was present in the class where Nayak was taking the test. His handwriting was verified and found matching with the one on Nayak's answer sheet. Based on the findings of the inquiry team, action was taken against the Bidanta. His dismissal has been informed to the state council for technical education and vocational training," Malik said.

Nayak accused the teacher of putting pressure on him to take tuitions from him. Since he had rejected his offer, he had threatened to harm his career.

"Since I had not join his private coaching classes, he held a grudge against me. And he had threatened to teach me a lesson," Nayak said.