Scored 257 out of 100, still failed? Bihar university admits to bizarre marking error, blames an Excel entry

Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University in Bihar's Muzaffarpur has landed in controversy after its recently declared postgraduate third-semester results (2023–25) revealed glaring numerical errors. One student was bizarrely awarded 257 marks in a 100-mark theory paper and 225 in a 30-mark practical exam, and yet, was not promoted.

The incident has sparked widespread criticism among students and added to longstanding concerns about the university’s evaluation practices. Over 100 students are still awaiting results, with many alleging that their colleges failed to submit internal marks, leading to delays or unfair results.

Out of nearly 9,000 students who appeared for the exams, around 8,000 were declared passed. However, students from Hindi, English, and Science streams have raised repeated complaints of irregularities. Some claim they were failed by just one or two marks, and that their objections were dismissed by officials citing vague errors attributed to a “head examiner.”

University Exam Controller Professor Ram Kumar admitted to the error, attributing it to a mistake during Excel sheet data entry. “It came to our notice that some students received marks exceeding the total. Upon investigation, it was found that the error occurred during Excel sheet entries while preparing the results,” he said.

He added that the discrepancies have since been rectified and the responsible computer operator has been warned. “The results are fed in Excel format, where occasional typing mistakes can occur. As soon as we received complaints, we conducted a prompt investigation and corrected the errors. Greater caution will be exercised in the future.”

While the university has promised tighter checks ahead, the incident has raised broader questions about quality control and accountability in examination systems, particularly for institutions overseeing thousands of student records.