Inter exams to be delayed?

Hyderabad: It seems like there would be no end to the suffering of students in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, thanks to the common admission clause introduced in the AP Re-organisation Act.

• Uncertainty looms over scrapping first year exams
• Examination process makes no headway
• Oct 17 new date to submit exam applications

The Act which has already dented careers of several engineering aspirants in both the states, has now cast a shadow of uncertainty on 20 lakh Intermediate students.

So far either AP or TS governments or Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) did not make any headway for the examinations which are scheduled to be held in March, 2015. Both the governments and the board were unable to take a call on scrapping the Intermediate first year examinations this year.

The exams now will be delayed by a month and will be held in the April, which will likely affect the students appearing for national level competitive exams.

“There was no development in the process till date which led to confusion among students. Scrapping the examination is not the correct idea. If they want to, they should do it at the beginning of the academic year. If it is done in between, it will have adverse effects due to the common admission clause. Officials of both the states have to sit and resolve the ongoing crisis, failing which it will leave lakhs of students in the lurch,” P Madhusudhan Reddy, president, Government Junior Lecturers Association, said.

The idea of scrapping first year exams was mooted by the AP government. It is said that, on the behest of the AP government, the board had made proposals for the scrapping the examinations.

The Telangana government rejected the proposal as it would affect students badly. However, it is the board that has to take a call on scrapping the examination in consultation with the board members.

While a senior official of BIE said that there would be a board meeting to discuss the issue, so far no such meeting has been held. Due to indecisiveness on the first year examinations, students are worried.

According to an official of the board, the board had already lost two crucial months for making schedules.

The official also said that by August first week examination schedule, the committee for setting up question papers, purchase of white papers, printing of papers, should have commenced. However, the process has not started till date.

“For 20 lakh students in both states, the board would require at least one crore answer sheets which have to be purchased. Tenders have to be called for printing answer sheets. The printed sheets should be distributed in all districts in TS and AP, which have to be supplied to 3,000 centres. This process would at least take two months. For examinations to be conducted in March, the officials work day in and day out from August. Now, that we have already lost two months and it would not be possible to conduct exam in March,” Madhusudhan said.

Meanwhile, the board has extended the date for submission applications for intermediate examination to October 17 without late fee.