Srinagar, Jan 20: The J&K Board of School Education (BOSE) is indecisive over holding examinations which were postponed in the first week of January in view of the inclement weather.
The examinations of class 11th students scheduled on January 3 and 6 were postponed by BOSE as most of the areas were inaccessible due to heavy snowfall across Kashmir.
A BOSE official said that the examinations which were postponed on January 3 include mathematics and applied mathematics of the science stream, sociology in arts stream and one subject in Home Science stream. However, the examination of commerce stream was completed before the snowfall.
“On January 6, we had scheduled examination of additional (vocational) subjects which were postponed as well,” the BOSE official said.
He said that the examination of only one subject was pending in some streams and the number of students supposed to appear in the exams was very less.
“The BOSE has not taken any decision as of now about holding the postponed exams,” the official said.
However, the delay by BOSE has left students “high and dry”.
They said that the BOSE should announce its decision at the earliest so that students prepare themselves for exams accordingly.
“We have to start preparation for our class 12th. But the JKBOSE has kept a hangover of class 11th due to the delay in announcing its decision,” said a class 11th student.
Meanwhile, a top BOSE official said keeping the prevailing harsh weather conditions in view, it was a risk to hold exams for the students.
“Kashmir is witnessing severe cold these days and the temperature has fallen to minus 7 to minus 8 degree Celsius. Under these conditions, we can’t ask the students to appear in exams,” the official said.
He said even if the number of students to appear in exams was less, the roads in far off areas were not still accessible and the highway was still slippery.
“This is the reason, we haven’t taken any decision about it,” the official said.
However, a top official in the civil secretariat said that the BOSE had taken up the matter with the Administrative Department to announce the decision about the conduct of postponed exams.
“BOSE has proposed both options which include holding exam of pending subject and awarding marks to the students for pending subject considering the average marks obtained by the students in other subjects,” the official said.
He said the Administrative Department would take a decision within a day or two which would accordingly be conveyed to the students.
