`Madhyama' exam attracting more

Pradip Kumar Das

Sanskrit equivalent to State matriculation

Examinations to begin on March 7Earlier, Sri Jagannath Sanskrit varsity was holding this exam

CUTTACK: Even as the State matriculation examinations and its Sanskrit equivalent the Madhyama examinations, are scheduled to begin in less than 48 hours from now, some students on Monday were still seen filling up their application forms and were receiving admission cards from the State Board of Secondary Education (BSE) here for the Wednesday's examination.

When contacted, the BSE officials expressed their helplessness saying: "We are undone, as the State Government has only during last week instructed us to enrol students of 19 unrecognised Sanskrit Traditional Orientation Learning (TOL) centres for the Madhyama examinations-2007 which are also beginning from March 7." The Government exercising its power under section 34 of Orissa Secondary Education Act has asked the BSE authorities to allow the students to appear for Madhyama examinations without verifying the particulars of the TOLs. "There being no time to verify the particulars of the Sanskrit TOL, the students may be enrolled for appearing the examinations," the letter from mass education joint secretary G B Swain said.

"This is for the sixth year in row the Government is using the provisions under OSE Act allowing the students of unrecognised TOLs to appear for the examinations without verifying their credentials of the centres or their students," Shyamsundar Mohanty, a teacher of a recognised TOL, said here.

Ever since the BSE was entrusted to hold the Madhyama exams in 2001, the number of un-recognised TOLs mushrooming everywhere to make easy money overnight from candidates who still wish to be matriculates even at 55 years of age, allege the BSE officials. Prior to 2001, the Sri Jagannath Sanskrit University, Puri was holding this examination.

Unlike the annual high school certificate (HSC) examination conducted by BSE, `Madhyama' examination is attracting more candidates nowadays.

Although, candidates clearing either of these examinations are termed `matriculates', more students are opting to sit for the difficult and complex version of Madhyama examination carrying 1000 marks instead of HSC exams that is of only 750 marks.