How Should I Explain a Degree Marks Sheet Error to a New Employer's HR?

I completed my degree in 2007 and applied for convocation, but it got rejected. When I verified the certificates, there was a printing error in the 3rd-semester English subject. For a single subject, marks had been printed twice - 18 and below that 17. I checked with the college, and they confirmed that I had scored 58 marks. I applied for a marks card correction, but I received a marks card where they again printed the marks wrongly, giving me 28 instead of the correct 58 marks. Subsequently, I sent a lawyer's notice to Bangalore University, and they corrected it to 58 and sent the corrected marks card.

This entire process concluded in 2013. However, in the interim, I joined a bank in 2010 and submitted the same documents. Subsequently, I joined another bank in 2014. Both organizations conducted background verifications, and I explained the situation to them. They accepted my explanation. Now, as I plan to join another bank, I am unsure whether they will accept the discrepancies caused by Bangalore University's mistake. I now possess a convocation certificate indicating that I completed my degree in 2013 instead of 2007.

Kindly advise on how I should address this with the new HR. I have all the photocopies of the marks sheets displaying the printing errors.

If you have all the necessary documents, please send a letter or lawyer's notice to the University to request a corrected certificate.

To get 1 mark corrected, I lost almost 3 years. I am scared to go to Bangalore University; it's the worst place. Now, if I show all documents to the new HR, will they accept or reject them? Anyway, I have to fight again with Bangalore University.

Stephen Lee:

You are left with no choice. Get your certificates corrected to show actual marks, years, etc. As days go by, original records in Bangalore University may get lost or eaten by termites. The efficiency of our bureaucracy is legendary. Sooner is better.

Mr. Nathrao, thank you for your suggestion. I need one more piece of information. Does the year of passing matter to the employer? If I explain this issue and provide photocopies showing the discrepancy from Bangalore University, will they consider it? I have submitted the same certificates to two other banks where I have worked.

I would advise that rectification action is necessary. Some companies may accept it, while others may not. False and forged certificates are in the news (Read Delhi political news). India is a document and certificate-oriented nation, so even minor inaccuracies in documents can lead to trouble.

Like Nathrao suggested, get the corrected degree certificate ASAP. Such documents are a lifelong necessity—employment being just one of the possible needs. You never know for what else you might need it later in your life. What if you want to apply for overseas jobs? You can't obviously pin up the whole correspondence bunch for your visa, right?

As regards "India is a document and certificate-oriented nation" that Nathrao mentioned, he is absolutely right. If you don't have a birth certificate, you just weren't born... never mind even if you are physically in front of someone with 100 people saying that 'you' are 'you' :-)

All the best.

Regards, TS