JOIN USAnxious parents, students apply for revaluation
Although, the general perception was that students had done well, they did not get the marks they deserved. In fact, students from Science stream were disappointed with their PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) scores and blamed the valuators for poor marks.
Not able to believe the marks he secured, Amit P and his parents came all the way from Mysore to apply for revaluation. A student of Marimallappa College, Amit was shell shocked when he found that he had failed in three subjects. "I got more than 85 percent in my preparatory exams. I have no idea what went wrong. Although, Chemistry paper was a little difficult, I had done my best in Physics and Maths," said Amit, who expected 80 per cent.
Echoing his shock was Pallavi, another PUC science student from Bishop Cotton Women's Christian College, who came with her mother Shanthi to apply for revaluation. "I expected less in Chemistry since the paper was lengthy, but Maths and Physics were so easy. I never thought I would get marks in 60s,” said Pallavi.
For Swathi R G from BML PU College 59 marks in Biology spelt trouble, especially when she was expecting 95 and a seat in a medical college. It was not only Science students but Commerce students were also unhappy with their marks.
Malachi Sabrina JS, a commerce student from Jyothi Nivas College, was aghast when she found out she had scored only 54 marks in Economics. With the paper having gone well, Malachi expected her marks to come in 80s. “The economics paper was very good. I found the five and 10 mark questions easy. I am going to ask for photocopy of the paper," she said, who got marks above 75 in other subjects. Having secured only 72 per cent now, Malachi, who wants to join St Joseph's Commerce College, feels she will find it difficult to get in.
She felt that the evaluators had shown their frustration of getting less pay on the answer papers and given less marks. Her father Sounder Raj A J stressed that the cut-off marks in colleges should be reduced. "If every college asks for high marks what will students who have secured 60 or 70 per cent do? Where will these students go? In fact, the colleges can take an entrance exam if they want but they should slash the high cut off marks," he said.
Cost factor
For a few students applying for revaluation was an expensive affair. Priyanka, a science student from Seshadripuram College, expected her marks in 80s but got only in 50s. She said, "I wish to get into medicine. As I have secured less marks in languages, which I never expected. I will apply for revaluation and photocopies only for core subjects. I cannot afford to pay for for all subjects, as it is PCMB marks is what matters," she said.
More than students, it was parents, who came on their children’s behalf to file for revaluation. Angry parents pointed fingers at incompetent and inexperienced valuators who had done erratic valuation. “I have no idea what those evaluators were thinking when they were correcting our children’s papers. They might have fought with their wives and shown that anger while correcting the papers,” said Vijay, father of Mitilesh, who had secured very less marks.
‘Paper review will be fair’
Parents and students thronged the Pre-University College in Malleswaram to apply for revaluation on Friday.
When Deccan Herald questioned PUC Board Director Shankar Narayan on why so many students had registered such low scores, the director said usually the Board received 15,000 papers for revaluation where only 1000 or less papers would have genuine errors.
Shankar Narayan promissed that revaluation would be done by three valuators, if any valuator is found to have committed grave mistakes; stringent action will be taken which includes recovering the remuneration and issuing notice, etc.
The director added that to make things easy this time, Bangalore One centres had been given the task of collecting forms and payments. "The Bangalore One facility would ensure that the parents did not have to wait for long in queue to make demand drafts or challans, unlike earlier," he said.