Surat girl mistakenly sits on absent student’s bench during board exams, declared ‘failed’; minister felicitates her after result is fixed

Wednesday brought a happy ending for the girl, Akiksha Parmar, as the State Education Minister, Praful Pansheriya, handed her a copy of her actual results and congratulated her. As per the new result, Akiksha passed with a 53.54% score.

Akiksha Parmar, a student of Class 10 at S B High school at Naswadi town in Chhota Udepur district, appeared for her board exams from Adarsh Residential school in the same town. On May 8, when the GSEB (Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board) declared the Class 10 result, Akiksha was shocked to find that she had been marked “absent” and declared “failed” in the online marksheet.
S B High School reported the matter to Chhota Udepur District Education Officer (DEO) Anand Parmar who checked with the examination centre and found that on the first day of the board exams, Akiksha arrived there a little late. Instead of sitting at her designated bench, she sat on the one assigned to a student who was absent for all the examination papers. She also mistakenly wrote the seat number printed on the bench on her answer sheet. “Similarly, for all the other papers, she sat in the wrong seat and recorded the wrong number on her answer sheet,” said DEO Anand Parmar.

When the exam results were declared, the absent student, on whose bench Akiksha sat, was declared “passed”.
DEO officials along with Adarsh Residential School authorities reached Gandhinagar with all the necessary documents and CCTV footage and put the issue before the board on Monday. The DEO also issued notices to six supervisors.
On Tuesday, State Education Minister Pansheriya took note of the incident.

On Wednesday, DEO Parmar, accompanied by staffers of both the schools along with Akiksha, reached the education minister’s office.

Talking to The Indian Express, Pansheriya said, “We came across the issue and rectified the mistake made by the student. We have handed her the actual online passed marksheet copy today. The six supervisors and block incharge had been given notice. We will ensure that such mistakes don’t occur in future.”

DEO Parmar said, “We have given notices to the supervisors and block in charge and are waiting for their reply after which further action will be taken.”

Akiksha, for her part, is grateful, relieved, and elated.

She said, “On the day of the result announcement, I was sure that I would pass the board exams… Today, I am happy that I have received a pass result. It was my mistake to sit on another student’s bench and put his seat number on my answer sheet… I am very happy to have received a passing result from the state education minister, who is a great person. He felicitated me in front of everyone.”

Akiksha, whose father is a farmer, said she wants to become a teacher and impart education to people in the tribal-dominated districts.