Confusion over HSC practicals

MUMBAI, MARCH 1: AS some city colleges decide to go ahead with the HSC practical science examination despite a postponement announced by the Mumbai Divisional Board of Secondary Education to April 1, confusion on actual dates continues.

Students should keep tab on their colleges, said Divisional Board chairperson S Abidi. The postponement came after an indefinite strike call of non-teaching staff members under the R B Singh union faction. As the union has no presence in 12 city colleges, including Jai Hind, Patkar, National, St Xavier’s and Mithibai, are sticking to the earlier schedule i.e. from March 2 to 10. The confusion over exam dates is however restricted to junior colleges attached to degree colleges. For junior colleges attached to high schools, the practical examination will start as earlier scheduled ie from March 2.

This confusion, said president of the Association of Non-Government Colleges (ANGC), M G Shirahatti, is because of the choice given to colleges to decide whether they will holdexams on the earlier scheduled date or on the new prescribed date. Abidi said the board being an examining body has no administrative power in this regard. It is for individual colleges to decide on this issue. He said as of now, only Jai Hind has informed the board of its decision to go ahead with the scheduled test on March 2.

Singh said though he has been requested by Minister for Higher and Technical Education, Datta Rane, to postpone the strike for another ten days, they were adamant. “We had postponed our stir thrice with little result. This time, our stir will continue till we get a written assurance.”