Mumbai: Students awaiting their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) Class 12 and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Class 10 board exam results may have to wait longer, as the assessment of answer sheets is still underway. Officials of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE) revealed that at this point, no specific date has been set for result declaration, considering the unprecedented situation of the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.
In its June 3 edition, FPJ had reported that the moderation process was on in Mumbai suburban district. Currently, assessment and collection of corrected answer papers is underway in Mumbai, Pune and major red-zone districts. Shakuntala Kale, chairperson of the MSBSHSE, told The Free Press Journal, "At present, we are focusing on completing the paper assessment process. Also, the paper collection process is on in various districts of the state." Around 30 lakh students who appeared for SSC and HSC exams this year are awaiting their results; as is the case every year, the results are declared by June 10.
Kale stated, "We have not yet decided the date for result declaration. In the present situation, it is quite uncertain. However, we will announce a date shortly." The assessment, moderation and paper collection process are all delayed due to the travel restrictions in the lockdown. A senior board official from the Mumbai division said, "We could not mobilise vehicles to transport answer papers due to stringent restrictions in Mumbai. Teachers and staff were unable to commute to schools to collect answer papers for correction. We had to function with minimum staff in order to maintain social distancing norms."
While parents and students are waiting for the results, teachers claim they are trying their best to complete the assessment process. Vishwajeet Mahajan, an examiner, said, "We completed paper correction at home during lockdown. Some examiners travelled to their schools in their private vehicles to collect answer papers, due to absence of public transport." Beena Vora, a teacher said, "We are trying our best to complete assessment process on priority."
