Win-win for ICSE students

For some students from the ICSE board, this is a second windfall in a week. Apart from benefitting from the state government's controversial Best-Five rule, ICSE students, who have represented their schools in recognised state, national or international sports events, will now be eligible for 25 extra marks that were so far given only to state board students under the sports quota.

For some students from the ICSE board, this is a second windfall in a week.

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Apart from benefitting from the state government's controversial Best-Five rule, ICSE students, who have represented their schools in recognised state, national or international sports events, will now be eligible for 25 extra marks that were so far given only to state board students under the sports quota.

Advocate General Ravi Kadam told the Bombay High Court on Thursday that the state government will extend the benefit of 25 extra marks to ICSE board students seeking admission to junior colleges.

Kadam told the court that since the admission process was online, all junior colleges will be instructed to consider the claim of eligible ICSE students for extra marks and consider their merit accordingly, like in the case of SSC students.

Until 2006, Class 10 and 12 students from the state board, who participated in sports, used to get up to 25 grace marks only if they failed to score enough to pass. In May 2007, the state sanctioned a proposal from the Maharashtra State Board For Secondary and Higher Secondary Education granting 25 extra marks to all state board students who had participated in sports.

The division bench of Justice DK Deshmukh and Justice RP Sondur Baldota had questioned the state's authority to grant these extra marks without amending the relevant rules.

Thorat withdrew both petitions after the advocate general's statement.