-Dipta Joshi

Students appearing for the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) secondary school certificate (SSC) class X board exams 2021 will be assessed based on their class IX and class X internal exams. Schools will form committees to overlook the evaluation process and results will be declared by the end of June.  The announcement regarding the assessment methodology was made by the state’s education minister, Varsha Gaikwad Friday afternoon.

The 100 marks internal evaluation for each subject will consist of 30 marks being assigned to the student’s year-long performance and 20 marks assigned to homework or orals or practical based evaluations. The remaining 50 marks will be assigned based on the student’s class IX performance.  

Announcing the details, the state’s education minister said the MSBSHSE will release the timetable for the evaluation process, its completion dates as well the evaluation pattern for repeaters and external students over the next few days. Schools will be required to set up a seven-member committee led by the school principal to oversee the internal evaluation process. However, heavy penalties would be levied on errant schools indulging in possible malpractices like inflation of marks etc.

The decision ends the uncertainty and stress faced by the 16.5 lakh students who had enrolled to appear for the class X 2021 board exams. Addressing parents and students’ concern about getting lower grades which would impact admissions to the state’s first year junior colleges aka FYJC admissions, the minister assured, “Those who aren’t satisfied with their results can write the CET (common entrance test) exams later.”

The optional CET for college admissions will be a two hour, 100 marks, multiple choice questions (MCQ) pattern exam based on SSC syllabus. Students attempting entrance tests would be given preference for junior college admissions while other admissions would be based on the students’ class X evaluation.

The Maharashtra government had issued a circular cancelling the state board class X exams on April 12 in view of the rising COVID-19 cases in the state. Announcing the same, the state’s education minister had assured students the education board and department would come up with a “fair marking system based on internal assessments”. However while the other boards like the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) that cancelled class X examinations announced their assessment procedures to evaluate class X students, similar announcements from the state government were delayed. Concerned about the prolonged delay, fairness and objectivity of results in the absence of exams, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court. The Court, which had adjourned its hearing of the matter to June 1, had not only reprimanded the state government for cancelling the exams but also  asked it to submit its internal evaluation formula by May 28.

The state education minister also announced its decision of providing financial help to class I to class XII students who lost their parents to COVID-19. The minister has proposed the state government bear the entire cost of education for such students thus ensuring students continue their education.      

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