New Delhi: High university cut-offs are forcing students to move abroad. This year, two colleges affiliated to Delhi University set the admission threshold at 100 per cent for admission to their BSc (Computer Science) course. Reflecting the tendency to award progressively higher academic grades, the number of students scoring 95 per cent and above in the Class XII examination conducted by CBSE rose 23 times in six years from 384 in 2008 to 8,971 in 2014.
The HRD ministry has stepped in. According to sources and reports in the media, the practice of “moderation of marks” is set to kick in after a meeting at a meeting of school boards called by the HRD Ministry this month. 42 national and state boards are expected to meet on October 28. Moderation of marks is a common practice adopted to “bring uniformity in the evaluation process”. In other words, marks scored by students are tweaked to align the marking standards of different examiners.
“The central government has invited 42 national and state-level school education boards on October 28 to ‘revisit the continuation of the moderation practice’, among other things,” said the chairman of a state board, who did not wish to be identified.
HRD ministry spokesperson Ghanshyam Goel did not respond to requests seeking comment. But the Centre, sources said, is keen to discuss this practice as high cut-off marks at universities is forcing many students to move abroad.
Every year, about 2 crore students appear in Class X and about 1.5 crore in Class XII public exams conducted by the 42 education boards.
According to the Indian Express, the meet, besides considering the methodology adopted to “moderate” marks, will consider the existing system of setting question papers, marking pattern, evaluation, rechecking, re-totalling and revaluation; Laying down guidelines to prevent cheating in examination; The need for JEE (Advanced) examination, as merit list of IITs can be prepared on the basis of JEE (Main); Linking the syllabus and examination pattern for Classes 10 and 12 and the entrance examinations for admission to medical and engineering colleges; A relook at the teaching-learning process in classrooms and the implementation of continuous comprehensive evaluation.
