Ignoring the students appeal for deferring exams to March, the government on Thursday declared that there will be no postponement of exams and announced reduction in syllabus for the students appearing in Secondary and Higher Secondary examinations.
The announcement was made by Chairman JK Board of School Education (BOSE) Zahoor Ahmad Chatt in a press briefing here.
“The only purpose to hold exams in November is to save the academic career of the students who have to appear in other national and international level competitive exams,” Chatt told reporters.
As per the dates already announced by BOSE, the exams for class 10 will commence from November 15 while the exams for class 12 will start from November 14.
“As per the exam dates, class 12th students will get six months to prepare for competitive exams which are held from the month of May,” Chatt said.
Students across Kashmir have been seeking deferment of exams to March in view of the ongoing unrest in which about 95 civilians have been killed, about 15000 injured and about 10000 arrested by security forces. About 90% of those killed, injured and arrested are students.
Ironically, the state government has sought deferment of by-polls to the Anantnag parliamentary constituency, citing in-conducive situation.
In today’s press briefing, the BOSE chairman said the deferment of exams would derail the academic scenario.
“During winters some of the snow bound areas remain cut off which delays the conduct of exams and results in delayed announcement of results,” Chatt said.
Explaining the pattern of relaxation, Chatt said BOSE has redesigned the papers and decided to give 50 percent relaxation in syllabus for students.
For the class 12 students BOSE has given section wise relaxation wherein they have to attempt only 50 percent of the questions.
Chairman BOSE said for subjects weighing 100 marks, students have to attempt any five questions out of 10 in Long and Short Answer Type Pattern of questions while as in very short answer type pattern students have to attempt any five out of nine questions. Also, the students have to attempt any five out of 10 questions in Objective Type (MCQ) questions.
For subjects weighing 70 marks students have to attempt any four out of 10 questions in long, short and very short type pattern of questions. In MCQ, students have to attempt five out of 10 questions.
For Botany and Zoology subjects weighing 35 marks each, students have to attempt fifty percent questions from every pattern of questions while as in Physical Education, weighing 60 marks, students have to attempt three out of six questions in long pattern of questions, four out of seven in short and very short pattern of questions.
For Accountancy subject in class 12th, students have to attempt fifty percent questions in long pattern of questions while as in short pattern of questions they have to attempt three out of six questions and four out of seven questions in very short answer type questions.
For the Class 10th, in subjects weighing 100 marks (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics), the students have to attempt only fifty percent questions in long, short and very short answer type questions. The students have been given fifty percent relaxation in MCQs as well.
For Social Science paper including History, Geography, Political Science, Economics and Disaster Management students have to attempt only fifty percent questions in long, short and very short answer type of questions.
Chatt said BOSE will provide assistance of helper the injured students (injured in security forces action during the unrest) if the candidates submit their applications with support of medical records.
Replying to a query regarding the arrangements for students languishing in jails, Chatt said, “As of now we don’t have any statistics of students who are in jails.”
He said the school education department had tasked all the Chief Education Officers (CEOs) to collect the number of class 10th and 12th students who are in jails or police lockups; however no statistics was received till date. “But if any student is under preventive custody in police stations, their parents should approach the concerned authorities in education department to get him released,” Chatt said.
Chatt also said they have rescheduled the exam timing from 1 p.m to 11 a.m.
