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Latest News |
| 14th
July 2010 / Times of India / Pune Edition |
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Conditions upset experts, parents, ICSE backers
Mumbai: After a protracted legal battle in the Bombay
high court and Supreme Court over the state’s controversial
‘best of 5’ policy, the state government has
conceded to extend the benefits of the junior college
admissions system to ICSE students too.
While the blow of sorts for the state government is being
called a ‘balanced’ ruling by SSC backers,
the ICSE board is not too thrilled.
The final percentage for SSC students will be based on
the best five of six subjects they appeared for. In the
case of ICSE students the final percentage will be based
on the best five of six subjects they appeared for in
subject Groups I and II. A seventh subject, in Group III,
will not be counted.
“We’re not very happy about the fact that
this category of subjects has been excluded from the best-five
policy. After all, a student has to study for these subjects,
too,” said ICSE board spokesperson Gerry Arathoon.
ICSE students also have the option of taking into account
all seven subjects they appeared for.
Dr C V Hegde, an ICSE parent and one of the petitioners,
said the interim policy is unfair. `The ‘best of
5’ policy is being implemented unconditionally for
SSC students, whereas it is being implemented with conditions
for ICSE students. SSC students have the luxury of choosing
any five of the six subjects they appeared for, whereas
ICSE students can select the best five from six of the
seven subjects they appeared for. It’s not their
fault that ICSE has seven subjects while the SSC has only
six. ICSE students studied hard for all seven subjects,’’
he said.
Others like J M Abhyankar, former project director of
the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, said justice has been done,
and that the order benefits both SSC and ICSE students.
Basanti Roy, former secretary of the Mumbai division of
the state board also called the judgment a ``balanced
one’’.
Some said that since SSC students can select the best
five of six subjects they appeared for, it is only fair
that the SC allows ICSE students to select five of six,
and not seven, subjects. Many said that the subjects in
Group III are high scoring and hence it is fair to leave
the group out. Interestingly, if the government had agreed
a couple of months ago to extend the benefit to ICSE students
too, there would have been no need for the state to battle
ICSE parents in court.
The state’s own legal advisors had warned the government
that it may not get what it wanted in the apex court.
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