Himachal Pradesh Board Takes Action Over Class 12 Exam Irregularities
HPBOSE Issues Notices to Officials Amid Exam Controversy
DHARAMSHALA: The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) has taken significant steps by issuing notices to five officials due to irregularities found in the Class 12 examination results. These officials have been given a period of 10 days to respond to the notice, or they may face further disciplinary measures.
The irregularities were uncovered following a major mistake in the evaluation process for the Class 12 English subject. An incorrect answer key, which had previously been canceled, was mistakenly utilized during the assessment of multiple-choice questions, leading to erroneous scores for numerous students. This mistake impacted the evaluation of 16 marks' worth of MCQs.
Controversy Following Student's Suicide Attempt
In a troubling incident, a girl who was initially declared failed in English reportedly attempted suicide, only to be later declared passed after the error was corrected. This incident sparked widespread criticism directed at senior HPBOSE officials. Following the revelation of the mistake, the Board re-evaluated the OMR sheets for the English exam using the correct answer key and subsequently released updated results, with changes made solely to the English subject marks.
In response to this serious oversight, HPBOSE has initiated disciplinary proceedings against several staff members from the relevant department. Based on a fact-finding report submitted to the board, formal show-cause notices have now been issued to the personnel involved.
HPBOSE Secretary Vishal Sharma confirmed the situation, stating: “The board has received the fact-finding report regarding the error in the English subject answer key. Based on this, show-cause notices have been issued to about five officials and staff members. They have been asked to submit their response within 10 days, after which the Board will proceed with appropriate action.”
Extension for Class 10 Re-evaluation Applications
In a related matter, the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has extended the deadline for Class 10 students wishing to apply for re-evaluation or rechecking of their answer sheets to June 5, due to recent technical difficulties encountered on the Board’s online portal.
Previously, the deadline for submitting applications was set for May 30. However, due to internet-related issues affecting the Board’s system since May 28, many students were unable to submit their applications on time.