No jumbling in Inter practical exams

The Board of Intermediate Education has reportedly decided not to implement jumbling system in practical examinations this year as well. Social uncertainty coupled with intense lobbying by corporate colleges forced the Board to take this decision, it is said.

The official reason cited was ‘maintaining status quo’. The Board of Intermediate has sought the advice of the government a few weeks back on the issue. Principal Secretary of Secondary Education held discussions with the concerned minister, K Parthasarathy’ and returned it stating that there will be no change in the policy and the Board can go ahead with the decision taken last year on the basis of an advice of a technical committee comprising of professors of JNTU Hyderabad.

Armed with the last year’s recommendation, the government has decided to go ahead with it this year as well. The decision will be a shot in the arm for private colleges and the students too can heave a sigh of relief since they don’t need to go to another college to face the practical exams. “The situation in the state is somewhat disturbing and every parent prays smooth conduct of exams. They are very particular of their children’s careers and hence we are actively considering not to introduce it” a top official of the Intermediate Board told The Hans India on Monday.

This is fifth consecutive year that the government has been deferring the introduction of jumbling system. Prof Dayaratnam Committee has proposed the jumbling system which could bring in some degree of quality in the practical exams. ‘If the exams are held in their respective college laboratories, there may be higher incidence of favoritism. A student practical knowledge shall be tested outside and by external examiners’ the panel felt.

But the recommendations gathered dust all these years as successive governments, making tall promise in every January to implement jumbling system but ducking it by the time of examinations. The single most reason is heavy lobby by the ranks-hungry corporate colleges.

Coming down heavily on the government, General Secretary of Government Junior College Lecturers’ Association Dr P Madhusudhan Reddy said the decision is totally unjust. ‘When there is no jumbling, then there will be no meaning of weightage marks in Eamcet. We demand that the 25 per cent weightage marks should be cancelled” he said.

Interestingly, the state government, during the course of a petition last year, has agreed to implement the jumbling system and the High Court too has given a go ahead.

Meanwhile, the Inter Board is considering holding Telugu examination first instead of English. According to sources, Board officials felt that ‘rural students were said to be demoralised after faring badly in English which was held first last year and it had a telling effect on their performance in other exams that followed’.