Over two weeks after scrapping SSC paper, Maharashtra board yet to decide marking scheme

On April 12, the education department decided to cancel the final paper for SSC- Geography which was earlier scheduled to take place on March 23 but was cancelled owing to the lockdown.

More than two weeks after the state education department announced the cancellation of the last SSC paper, the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) is still yet to decide on the marking scheme for the exam.

School students seen before their Class 12th Board Exam (HT File)

On April 12, the education department decided to cancel the final paper for SSC- Geography which was earlier scheduled to take place on March 23 but was cancelled owing to the lockdown. The papers for vocational subjects which are offered to Children with Special Needs and are conducted 2-3 days after the actual board exams were also cancelled. Officials at the state board had said that a marking formula would be arrived at for the papers which were cancelled.

Even as the board formed a committee to deliberate over the issue, no decision has been made as of yet. “Since it is the first time that such a cancellation has taken place, we need time to explore all possible options. This would be done in consultation with the government,” said a senior official from the state board.

While the board has, in the past, resorted to giving average marks to students whose answersheets were lost or stolen, it was only for a handful of them. With nearly 17 lakh students writing the SSC exam, officials said that they had to consider all possible options.