Madurai: The delay in issuing pass certificates to candidates who cleared the 2024 PhD entrance examination at Madurai Kamaraj University has adversely affected their admission process, causing uncertainty among aspirants.

The entrance test, held on September 22, 2024, was written by 1,094 candidates. Allegations of malpractice and complaints that some candidates had allegedly paid money to secure passage led the Higher Education Department to constitute three committees to probe the matter.

The results were published twice amid controversy over the number of successful candidates, prompting legal proceedings, which were later concluded. Following scrutiny by an expert committee, the final results declaring 740 candidates successful were released after nearly one-and-a-half years.

However, the university is yet to issue the corresponding certificates, preventing students from completing admissions under eligible PhD supervisors in various universities. The prolonged delay has also affected the conduct of entrance examinations in subsequent years.

A university official said multiple factors, including complaints, court cases, expert committee reviews and revaluation, contributed to the delay. He added that the pass certificates would be sent to successful candidates through email within a few days and assured that there would be no further delays.