CUTTACK: The archaic pattern of State matriculation examination is for a change to make it more student-friendly.

Additional time to students to read questions, facility to obtain photocopies of evaluated answer sheets, more examination centres, including having centres inside jail premises are some of the new and progressive measures introduced by the state Board of Secondary Education (BSE) for the first time this year for the forthcoming exams scheduled to begin from March 7.

Students can now apply the BSE to obtain photocopies of their evaluated answer sheets within eight months after publication of the results.

The BSE took this decision in view of the instructions it has received from the State Commissioner of Right to Information (RTI). Besides, every year after publication of results, hundreds of students allege that their answer sheets have not been properly evaluated.

Many students also commit suicide complaining that they deserved more marks than what they have got. And it has been observed in several cases that after re-addition, the allegations of the students stand vindicated.

"Keeping this and the provisions under RTI Act in mind, we have decided to provide photocopies of the answer sheets of the students those who would apply within eight months of publication of results with the requisite fees," said the BSE secretary Minaketan Pani.

"Since it would be practically impossible to store the voluminous answer sheets intact for long, we have decided to destroy them after eight months. The RTI Commissioner has also approved it," Dr. Pani added.

Panel to decide fee

"Our examination committee would soon finalise the fee structure before publication of results of annual HSC examination-2007," Dr. Pani informed.

Earlier a matriculate student was depositing Rs 30 per paper for re-addition.

Nearly four lakh students are expected to sit for the matriculation examinations, which would continue up to March 16. While 3,26,896 students have filled forms to appear in regular course, a record number of 60,000 students would appear in ex-regular course.

The remaining students would appear the examination under correspondence and Sanskrit courses, BSE sources said.

Apart from introducing the system of providing photocopies of answer sheets, the BSE this year is also bringing in certain other reforms too.

For the first time, the examinees would get an additional 10 minutes time to acclimatize themselves with the question paper.

The additional time is given exclusively to go through the question paper only.

Similarly, the BSE has decided to have examination centres in two jails of the state to facilitate the inmates to appear the examination.

The Circle jail at Choudwar and the Koraput district jail would serve as examination centres this year where seven and three inmates respectively would write the examinations this year.

The State Board has also ensured that this year there would be at least one examination centre within every 20-km radius across the State to see that the students do not have to travel long distances to appear the examinations.

About 1713 examination centres across the State have already been short listed till date, which is likely to increase further, sources said.

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