HSC scores out: Tough fight for degree seats in Mumbai

Mumbai city news: Top scores in HSC exams much lower than scores of students from the other boards; getting into management, media courses could be difficult

Only a handful of Class 12 students from the Maharashtra state board will make it to the first merit lists of coveted colleges in Mumbai.

Students of Ramnarain Ruia College, Dadar, were happy with their result. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT photo)

The top scores of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams were much lower than the scores of students from the other boards — ISC and CBSE. Nobody crossed the 98%-mark.

What does this mean? HSC students will take a beating while applying to degree courses, such management studies, information technology and professional courses, said college principals.

“Non-state board students, with higher marks will also apply to these courses. This will push up cut-offs,” said Tushar Desai, principal, DG Ruparel College, Matunga.

Experts said the scores did not match those of ISC and CBSE student as the Maharashtra state board doesn’t moderate marks. “We do not have a moderation policy like CBSE or other boards do,” said Duttatray Jagtap, chairperson, Mumbai division. Moderation is done to level mean achievements in the candidates’ set-wise performance — there are different sets of question papers, and some may be more difficult than others. Ashok Wadia, the principal of Jai Hind College, Churchgate, said while many students scored 94% in the HSC exams, many more from other boards had scored above 95%.

“Students from CBSE and ICSE boards get additional marks through moderation. The authorities should either do away with the moderation policy or introduce it for state board too,” said Siddesh Sherkar, a student from RA Podar College.

But high scorers in Mumbai said they are not too worried about the disparity in Class 12 marks as they have set their eyes on courses that admit students based on entrance test scores.

“I want to do CA after my degree, and it needs preparation. We have been advised to get into to BCom, as it will give us time to prepare. There’s not much competition for them,” said Roshan Pednekar, RA Podar College.

“The HSC results follow the same pattern: few students get distinction, a majority fall in the first class category,” said Usha Mukundan, principal, Jhunjhunwala College in Ghatkopar.

Chaitali Chakraborty, principal, Thakur College, Kandivli, said, “According to our count, more students got distinction in our college than the figure provided by the board.”