In a fresh deal to agitating students of class 10th and 12th, the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (BOSE) on Friday offered exams in March next year with a rider that those taking the exams will have to answer questions from complete syllabus.The announcement by the BOSE comes a day after its chairman offered 50% syllabus for the students appearing in exams in November as per the already announced schedule. In fact BOSE has stuck to conduct exams in November with half syllabus."Even after announcement of open choice pattern offering relief to students, demand by some of them (students) to hold exam in March 2017 has persisted. The State Government has also taken a note of the divergent opinions expressed by students and suggested to the BOSE to review the issue in the best interest of the students and academic environment. The BOSE has therefore decided that (a) the examination with open choice of questions will be conducted as per the date sheets already notified; (b) such students who are interested to appear with full syllabi shall be provided an opportunity to appear in separate examinations which shall be held during March 2017, without any academic penalty", reads a notification issued by the BOSE here.
However, the BOSE said that the candidates belonging to Division Gurez, Tandghar and Tehsil Keran and Machil, both Regular and Private, shall not be eligible for the proposed March 2017 Examinations."The students will have to exercise their option only once and those opting to appear in November 2016 Annual Regular Examinations with open choice of questions as announced by the Board shall not be eligible to appear in the proposed Annual Examinations of Class 10th and 12th to be held in March 2017", further reads the notification, a copy of which lies with GNS.Keeping in view the disturbed conditions in Kashmir Valley, the BOSE has already announced open choice in question papers for Class 10th and 12th Annual Regular 2015.There have been large scale protests by the students in demand for postponement of the examination till March. Interestingly, while government has cited non-favorable conditions for deferment of bi-polls for Anantnag parliamentary constituency, it was hitherto adamant on conducting the examinations in November.It would be also interesting as to how the new offer goes with the students and other stakeholders in coming days. (GNS)