Board fails dead student, after passing her in recheck

Fifteen-year-old Anamika Arutla was active in NCC and had dreams about her future. She was among one of the 26 Intermediate students who committed suicide in Telangana after the Board of Intermediate failed more than 3.82 lakh students.

On Saturday, the board declared that she actually cleared the exams after revaluation of her papers. Within hours, however, the Board called it a clerical mistake and confirmed that the girl actually failed.

Anamika committed suicide on April 18 after she failed in Telugu language with only 20 marks. In the revaluation, she secured 48 marks. Her sister who was browsing through the latest results found the shocking news.

In all 1,137 students cleared the exams after the revaluation ordered by the Telangana High Court. The goof-up of the board came to light after a bright student was awarded zero marks in Telugu but after revaluation got 99.

The Children Rights NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham moved the HC seeking revaluation, at no additional cost following which the HC ordered the Board to even upload all the corrected answer sheets on the website— of nearly 3.82 lakh failed students— by May 27.

Cornered from all sides the Intermediate Board scrutinised the papers of all the 26 students who committed suicide. According to the Board 22 out of 23 failed even after verification. However, it confirmed that one student would have passed in the first division. She had committed suicide before the results were declared.