Jadavpur University will review the answer scripts of MA students of journalism and mass communication who failed in several papers in the semester exams, a university official said.

The university could engage external examiners for the job, the official said.

The results were announced last week. Of the 88 first and second-year students, 53 failed in more than one paper and they would have to take supplementary exams.

Students had gheraoed the departmental head and other teachers last week, alleging “negligence in evaluation”. They demanded their answer scripts be rechecked.

The board of studies has recommended a recheck and forwarded the matter to the controller of examination.

“We could engage external examiners…. A resolution approved by the executive council says we can engage external examiners,” Satyaki Bhattacharya, the controller of examination, said.

The council is the university’s highest decision-making body.

Last July, the university had decided to review history papers for admission to undergraduate courses, following complaints that 55 students who had scored 90 per cent or more in the Plus-II board exams got 10 or less out of 100.

External examiners had rechecked the papers and the revised merit list had 15 new names among the first 70. The papers of all 344 candidates had been rechecked.

“If external examiners are involved, we will oppose that. The JU statute says answer scripts can be reviewed internally. What had happened in history was wrong,” a teacher of the journalism and mass communication department said.