Bhubaneswar, July 19: The State Disability Commission today directed Utkal University authorities to provide an assurance letter and the photocopies of answer sheets to a visually challenged student who had been given wrong marks in his degree final exams in 2011-12.

The commission also asked the authorities to apologise to the student for the troubles he had to undergo as a result of their carelessness.

The student, Ananata Basudev Biswal, was marked zero in the Indian polity paper 1. After re-evaluation, it was found that his score was 49. Biswal, who had to face a lot of harassment, said: “I suffered for no fault of mine.”

Biswal had secured zero in paper 1 of Indian Polity and 60 in paper 2. After re-evaluation of his answer sheet, the university said his marks in paper one was 49, but in paper 2, his marks were reduced from 60 to 50.

“I applied for photocopies of my answer sheet through the Right to Information Act, but the varsity refused to provide me with them.

“With no options left, I moved the Disability Commissioner of Odisha,” said Biswal. The mistake had resulted in the loss of one year for Biswal who had planned to take admission in a post graduation course and continue his BEd.

“Besides losing a valuable year, I had to undergo harassment and mental agony at the hands of the university staff. I only expect them to be careful in future and not play with anyone’s life, especially when that person is disabled,” he said.

“Disabled students in the state are often exposed to inhuman behaviour by the authorities. The carelessness on the part of the authorities must have made the poor student travel all the way to the capital at least 15 times,” said activist Sanyas Behera.