As directed by the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC), the commissioner of education and secretary of BOSEM appeared before the commission on Wednesday in regards to the case of 96 students rejected by BOSEM from appearing in the HSLC examination 2023 due to alleged negligence of schools.
An order (Oral) of the MHRC signed by its chairperson, Justice UB Saha and member KK Singh stated that the Commissioner of Education submitted that the Department of Education is waiting for the views/report/decision of BOSEM to the letter dated July 17, 2023 of the Education Department addressed to the Secretary, BOSEM. He has also taken us to the interim report submitted by the enquiry authority constituted by the Education Department, they stated.
Secretary, BOSEM submitted that normally the BOSEM goes to take two examinations in a year, one is HSLC examination and another one is HSLC Compartmental examination. As there is no provisions or scope to take another examination, the BOSEM is to take the permission and/or opinion of the Department of Education, government of Manipur, as to whether they can go for another examination for the students who could not appear in the HSLC examination for the fault of the school authority along with the students appearing in the ensuing compartmental examinations, the commission stated.
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He also submitted that compartmental examination will take only one day as required and for the unfortunate students minimum six days will be required for their examination, the MHRC said in the order.
Considering the above submission of the Commissioner (Education) as well as Secretary BOSEM, we thought it fit to go through the interim report submitted by of the enquiring authority as submitted by the Department of Education and also regulations 66.1 ‘Regulations of the HSLC examination’ of BOSEM, the commission said.
The commission also considered that the enquiry committee viewed that the failure to fill up online applications of several the students/candidates, even though not all, are owing to negligence of the concerned school authorities and/or failure on the part of the BOSEM to act promptly and humanely. In cases of the candidates/ students and/or their parents/guardians/teachers who appear before the committee on the scheduled dates/ days of hearing, the committee feels that the failure to submit their online application forms lies with the negligence of school authorities and indecisiveness on the part of the BOSEM in those crucial few days.
Further, the enquiry committee also viewed that of the future career of the affected candidates/students, the committee recommends that the government considers to direct the BOSEM to allow the students/candidates as mentioned at para 11(ii) & 6(ii) and other such similarly situated students/candidates to appear the HSLC exam 2023 afresh or along with candidates who will be appearing the compartmental examination of the HSLCE- 2023.
The commission opined that both department of Education, as well as BOSEM if desire can take examination for the unfortunate students who could not appear in the HSLC examination due to fault of school authority but as commissioner (Education) submits that they are waiting for reply/decision of the BOSEM on letter dated July 17, 2023 addressed to the secretary of BOSEM.
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So, the commission allow an opportunity to the BOSEM to take its decision to do justice to the unfortunate student who could not appear in the HSLC exam due to fault of school authority and also to examine the provisions of Regulation 66.1where in it is stated “Where the Board is satisfied that the operation of any of the Regulation causes hardships in any particular case, the Board may order to dispense with or relax the requirement of that Regulation to such extent and subject to such conditions as the Board may consider necessary for dealing with the case in a just and equitable manner.”
The commission trusting the authorities stated that the authorities will follow the recommendation of the enquiring authority in the interim report while considering the case of the unfortunate students, so that their one-year academics may not spoil for the fault of school authority.
