“One single mistake leading to the cancellation of one paper is sufficient enough to create doubts in the minds and hearts of the people about the entire process of ongoing examinations”.
Distribution of 11th class question papers among the class 12 students last week at the examination centres and the subsequent cancellation of examination of the said paper is in itself an indication that all is not going well with the conduct of examinations conducted annually by the Jammu & Kashmir Board Of School Education (J&K BOSE). Mere cancellation of the examination and announcement of new date for a particular subject is not sufficient enough to satisfy the parents deeply concerned over the laxity shown by the authorities of J&K Board Of School Examination in the delivery of question papers at the examination centres. One single mistake leading to the cancellation of one paper is sufficient enough to create doubts in the minds and hearts of the people about the entire process of ongoing examinations conducted by Jammu & Kashmir Board Of School Education. Since the transparency in the conduct of the examination matters the most for both the students and as well as their parents, the circumstances that led to distribution of class 11 question paper among the students of class 12 necessitate a thorough and impartial probe for the purposes of identifying the guilty and punishing them stringently so that such mistakes are not committed again in future.
“It is for the Government to take immediate corrective measures for identifying the lapses in the practices and procedures of the examination system and addressing them to the entire satisfaction of the students and their parents. Since the faith of the students in the examination system has taken a big hit , the corrective measures for smoothening the entire examination system deserves and demands immediate attention and intervention of the J&K BOSE for the purposes of restoring the faith of students in education system.”
Though probe has been ordered and committee has been constituted for probe but what matters is transparency of the inquiry and timeline for submission of the final report to the Government for final action against those responsible for the distribution of question papers of 11th class amongst the students of 12th class. The occurrence of either the leakage of question papers or the delivery of the question paper of one class for the examination of another class at the examination centres are the lapses which should not occur in examinations conducted by a top examination body like J&K Board Of School Education (J&K BOSE). Had the supervisory staff of the examination centres checked the question papers of 11th class before handing over them to students of 12th Class in the examination halls, the J&K BOSE won’t have gone into disrepute. While in the present era of digitisation grave lapses in the distribution of question papers should not occur at all , the delivery of answer scripts at the concerned offices and their evaluation are also issues of greater concerns. Finally it is for the Government to take immediate corrective measures for identifying the lapses in the practices and procedures of the examination system and addressing them to the entire satisfaction of the students and their parents. Since the faith of the students in the examination system has taken a big hit , the corrective measures for smoothening the entire examination system deserves and demands immediate attention and intervention of the J&K BOSE for the purposes of restoring the faith of students in education system.