02 March,2013 07:38 AM IST | | Niranjan Medhekar
Students appearing for their SSC and HSC exams this year are in luck. The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) has decided to introduce the option of re-evaluation of answer sheets after the declaration of SSC and HSC results, with effect from this year. Till last year, students could only ask for rechecking of total given marks, and not re-evaluation of the whole answer sheet.
After the Supreme Court issued directives, the MSBSHSE had agreed to making photocopies of answer sheets available to the students under the Right to Information (RTI) Act last year, after the results were declared.u00a0"Last year, a total of 21,000 students including SSC and HSC examinees had applied for photocopies of one or more of their answer sheets under the RTI Act.
After getting the photocopies, many demanded for re-evaluation, claiming that their answer sheets had not been assessed properly. So from this year, we have adopted a statewide policy to start re-evaluation of the answer sheets," said Sarjerao Jadhav, chairperson of the MSBSHSE.
Students, after obtaining photocopies of one or more answer sheets, can apply for the re-evaluation of the same if they feel that they haven't been checked properly. Last year, the state board charged the students Rs 400 for getting photocopies of each answer sheet and no hike has been enforced this year. Students will get five days to apply for re-evaluation after receiving photocopies. They will have to shell out Rs 300 per answer sheet to get them re-evaluated.
"The only thing is that after getting photocopies of their answer sheets, students will have to consult their junior college teachers and confirm that it is indeed necessary to apply for re-evaluation," said Jadhav.u00a0Some 17 lakh students from across the state are sitting for the SSC exam, which starts today. Thirteen lakh students are appearing in the ongoing HSC exams. From the SSC exams, 1,45,00,000 answer sheets will be collected, and 75 lakh from HSC exams. Keeping in mind these massive numbers, the state board chairperson has appealed to students that they only apply for re-evaluation if they feel it is necessary.u00a0
Results on June 5
Meanwhile, speaking on the refusal of junior college teachers to check HSC answer sheets, Jadhav insisted that the boycott would not delay HSC results, which will be declared June 5. "Discussions are going on between junior college teachers' organisations and the state government. I am hopeful that soon there will be a resolution. Otherwise, we are also thinking of alternative arrangements for evaluation of answer sheets. But in any case we will make sure that declaration of HSC results does not cross the June 5 deadline," Jadhav said.
Rubbishing all rumours that the state board is thinking of arranging for a re-examination of the HSC Physics paper which was allegedly difficult, Jadhav clarified, "All the questions that appeared in the Physics paper were from the textbook. So those students who depended on their coaching class notes rather than the textbook are complaining that the paper was tough. On the other hand, I can show you the CBSE Class XII Physics papers, in which many application-based questions were from without the textbook."
