: The government is considering the possibility of holding a fresh examination for those students of 10 standard whose answer papers, numbering 221, went missing early this week while in transit from Sathyamangalam of Gingee taluk to Tindivanam, both in Villupuram district.
Stating this in the Assembly during a debate on the motion of calling attention, School Education Minister Vaigai Chelvan, said steps were being taken to trace the papers, which pertained to English-I, for which the examination took place on April 1.
Like in the case of two bundles of 357 answer papers for Tamil – II which were found 300 metres from the Vriddachalam railway station on March 29, postal officials were at fault in respect of the Sathyamangalam answer sheets too. Officials concerned had been suspended, the Minister informed the House.
Out of the 357 answer papers for Tamil-II, there was no damage to 240. Fiftyfour papers had been damaged only to some extent. Mr. Vaigai Chelvan said.
The remaining 63 papers were completely damaged. Following the precedent in 2008 when 220 papers were burnt in a fire in Vellore district, the marks that students would get for Tamil-I would be awarded to them for Tamil-II also.
As for an error in a question of English-II, one mark would be given even to those students who had answered wrongly, the Minister said.