Other States - Orissa   

Matriculation toppers list recast once again

CUTTACK: The Orissa Board of Secondary Education (BSE) on Wednesday invited fresh criticisms for itself when it came out with a list of ‘top hundred’ students of the 2008 Matriculation examination, the results of which were published on June 25 this year. This is for the fourth time the BSE recast its toppers’ list during the past one and a half months.

The new list now has Pragyan Paramita Pradhan of the Bhubaneswar-based Unit VIII Saraswati Vidya Mandir as new topper of the examination with 765 marks out of a possible 800 marks. Pragyan was ranked fifth in the previous list with 755 marks. “The toppers’ list was recast after re-addition and rechecking of answer sheets of the applicants,” said BSE examination controller A S Bhol. Pragyan got 10 marks in optional science practical paper which was not awarded to her earlier, he added.

“Following a slew of changes in the toppers’ list, the examination committee decided to publish the names of all the top hundred rank holders to give justice to all bright students”, said BSE secretary N R Mohapatra who was the chairman of the examination committee. There are at least 104 students in the new toppers’ list, sources said. This was for the first time that the Board came out with such an exercise.

But the innovative attempt by the Board, instead of satisfying all, has left the previous topper Bimal Prasad Panda and his parents of Berhampur fuming. Bimal with 761 marks has now been relegated to joint second position along with two more students. “This is a crude joke the Board is playing on young talent of the State,” fumed Bimal’s father P K Panda.

So enraged are the Pandas that Bimal’s mother has now threatened to return all the awards and mementoes his son has received during these days. “We would now return the felicitations bestowed on our son by the State Governor, Chief Minister and other organizations,” said Bimal’s parents alleging that the Board was engaged in some foul play. They have also demanded a CBI probe into the matter. Bimal also claims that he would get more marks if his papers are reevaluated.

On the other hand, the new topper Pragyan too has come out with a scathing attack on the Board. “The Board authorities should have been more careful in evaluating the answer sheets properly in order to avoid such unpleasant developments in future,” Pragyan suggested. She, however, was elated and celebrated with her family members after getting the top rank in the prestigious list.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

AICC woos suspended leaders
Efforts on to preserve indigenous variety of wild fruits
Memorial meet
Topper’s woes
Fool-proof arrangements
Subsidised rice for all eligible sought
Road blockade after accident
Directive to buffalo owners
Three-tier security strategy prepared for Independence Day celebrations
Matriculation toppers list recast once again
Top-ranker seeks Crime Branch probe
‘Women are worst hit by displacement’
Suspected Maoist nabbed
Recovery of money ordered
Group clash on Ravenshaw University campus leaves 30 students injured

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu