A student who had got zero marks in her science paper applied for re-totalling and got 70 marks. She then got another additional mark after re-evaluation. As a result, her total score in the science paper changed from 0 to 71. The glitch happened because the evaluator had not shaded ‘7’ so the score read ‘0’.
Several such bloopers have come to light during re-evaluation. The Karnataka Secondary Education and Examination Board (KSEEB), which identified errors by evaluators as nearly 6,500 answer scripts that are being re-evaluated is nearing completion, is planning to initiate stringent action against 1,089 evaluators this year. It was found that nearly 39 answer scripts saw changes of 21 or more marks in a single answer script. The KSEEB, which has formed slabs of variations in marks, has now decided to increase the penalty amount and also initiate stringent action against the teachers. “Every year, we ask the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction to initiate action against such evaluation, but these mistakes continue year after year. This year, we want the board itself to penalise the evaluators,” a department source said. Experts also point out that the penalty is too little and there is a need to increase it and the fees charged.
Meanwhile, a student, who applied for re-evaluation in the first language, found that his score of 30 was reduced to nine. The change in marks after re-evaluation has also changed the ranks. One such student is Shwetha S. of Amar Jyothi English School, who got 623 out of 625 after re-evaluation.
