NAGPUR, MAY 26: In what appears to be a fallout of a stiff competition between the two prestigious educational institutions here, the Divisional Education Board office had to undertake a re-moderation of the Electronics paper of the HSC examination.The re-moderation was undertaken by the Divisional Board following a complaint by a section of parents and students that teachers from a particular institution had been appointed as both examiners and moderators for the Electronics paper. The students and the parents had expressed the apprehension that this might `benefit' the students from that particular institution.The stiff competition between the two prestigious institutions from the city as regards the number of merit students has been a matter of discussion in city circles since the last few years. The incident is being looked upon as a fallout of this competition.It is said that students and parents were used as shields to wage the `secret war'. As soon as a section of teachers of one of these institution came to know that teachers of the other institution had been appointed as both examiners and moderators for the electronics paper (which is not allowed as per rules), they immediately contacted the students and parents with a view to raise the issue, it is also said.The students and parents then lodged a complaint with the Divisional Board and also allegedly threatened to move the court if the papers were not re-moderated. Fearing legal wrangles and a possible upsetting of the result schedule, the Board officials are said to have agreed for re-moderation. The re-moderation is said to have been conducted outside Nagpur Division.A member of the parents' organisation (set up specially for this purpose), while speaking to this newspaper alleged that the norms had been flouted by Board while appointing the examiners and moderators for the paper. It was also alleged that some of the examiners were not qualified for the work.Meanwhile, J V Pandharipande, Chairman of the Nagpur Divisional Board, told this newspaper that the Board had, in fact, received a complaint from the students and re-moderation was conducted to allay the apprehensions of the students. However, primary investigations showed that no rules were flouted, he said.He did not reveal as to where the re-moderation was conducted.
