Board directs colleges to store HSC answer sheets

With junior college teachers boycotting the correction of higher secondary certificate (HSC) exam answer sheets, colleges in city have been asked to keep the papers in their custody till the strike ends.

With junior college teachers boycotting the correction of higher secondary certificate (HSC) exam answer sheets, colleges in city have been asked to keep the papers in their custody till the strike ends.

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The education board said that keeping the answer sheets in colleges will reduce the possibility of the papers getting misplaced, and would also help save time once the strike is called off, as examiners would be able to start checking papers immediately.

More than 60,000 junior college teachers across the state are boycotting exam-related work. The agitation has affected the correction of HSC answer sheets for the February-March 2013 exams.

According to the usual practice, the education board headquarters in Pune sends sealed packets containing answer sheets to the examiners’ colleges via courier.

The college principals then distribute these answer sheets among designated examiners. At present, the striking examiners are refusing to accept these parcels from the college principals.

The board has now asked colleges not to return answer sheets to them if examiners refuse to check them.

“If an examiner refuses to accept answer sheets on account of the strike, the colleges should keep the answer sheets safely with them. On no condition whatsoever, should colleges send back the parcels to the board,’’ reads the latest circular issued by SV Gaikwad, additional divisional secretary of the education board, Mumbai division.

Laxmikant Pandey, chairperson of the state board, Mumbai division, said: “We have taken this measure to prevent confusion and loss of answer sheets. It will also save time and examiners will be able to start checking papers immediately after the strike gets called off.”