The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the government to state by Monday as to how many days the Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) would need to re-evaluate the answer sheets of three lakh students, who failed in the recently-held Inter examinations.

The instruction was given by a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Rajasheker Reddy after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Balala Hakkula Sangham (BHS) stating that the negligence of authorities in evaluation of answer sheets was compelling Inter students to resort to suicide. The petitioner, P. Achyutha Rao, said lackadaisical attitude of the officials was affecting the innocent students.

When Additional Advocate General J. Ramchander Rao said it would take two months to re-evaluate the answer sheets of three lakh students, the Bench wondered why it would take such a long time when the authorities evaluated the answer sheets of 10 lakh students in one month.

Mr. Rao told the court that it was not the first time that such a situation arose, stating that the government would file a counter on the matter within three days. The previous year, only 9,000-odd applications were received for re-evaluation, he added.

“We are dealing with the students of Telangana State and not of Uganda or Kenya... 16 young students have ended their lives due to the errors by the board… please show some concern towards the students,” the Bench remarked on hearing submissions by Mr. Rao, Higher Education Secretary B. Janardhan Reddy and Intermediate Board Secretary Ashok. The Bench said their submissions were lethargic and bureaucratic.

“Prima facie there are lacunae on the part of the Intermediate Board, which conceded that there were some mistakes in the declaration of results,” the Bench noted.

It made it clear that every student has a right to know the assessment of his/her performance in the exams. The future of the students depends on their respective scores in Inter exams. Hence, the authorities should work hard to re-evaluate the answer sheets at the earliest, the Bench said. “When the judges can work till 3 a.m., why not the officials,” asked the ACJ.

Judicial probe

The petitioner’s counsel, Damoder Reddy, said it was the first time that 16 youngsters had lost their lives due to grave errors by the Intermediate Board. He sought a judicial probe into the entire issue, but the Bench said it would only aggravate the problems of the students and take longer time to find a solution.

When Mr. Ashok submitted to the Bench that by Monday, he would present all the facts and figures relating to the teachers engaged in the evaluation process and the students failed, the Bench said it was not concerned with the data, but would prefer a solution to the problem.

The ACJ made it clear that none of the ‘failed’ students would approach the Intermediate Board with a request for re-evaluation. “Why should the students pay for the errors committed by the Intermediate Board,” it remarked. The matter was posted to Monday for next hearing.