CBSE feeling generous? Board awarded up to 11 extra marks after Delhi HC's moderation orders: Report

After much delay and confusion, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the results of the class 12 board exams for all streams – commerce, science and humanities – on Sunday, May 28. It has now been reported that the board awarded up to 11 marks to students after the Delhi High Court ordered it to continue with its moderation policy this year.

Under the policy, the board awards grace marks to students for difficult questions.

Students got about 11 marks in accountancy, 10 marks in mathematics, and eight marks each in physics and chemistry, according to the Times of India. The board is also said to have given about 10 extra marks to students who could not get the pass marks.

The mentioned marks were in addition to the set-wise grace marks that the board awards to students on the basis of difficulty level and other differences.

Speaking to TOI, experts said that such moderation leads to an unhealthy competition among various boards and that must not be encouraged. "These cannot be moderation of marks if the process has been done properly. Earlier, moderation of one to three marks used to be adequate," former CBSE chairperson Ashok K Ganguly explained to the daily. He also said that while moderation is necessary for a national board, it is not really required in state boards.

The CBSE had earlier decided to scrap the moderation policy this year onwards, but the Delhi High Court, while hearing a PIL, rapped the board calling the move "unfair and irresponsible."

The bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Pratibha M Singh too agreed with the PIL and said that the decision would have a "drastic effect on the students," reported the Press Trust of India. The bench also asked why the decision could not be put off until the next year.

The high court then asked CBSE to retain the moderation policy this year so that the students who have already appeared for the exams aren't affected.

Meanwhile, CBSE is yet to announce the results of its class 10 board exams. While the dates haven't been confirmed yet, it is being said that the results will be declared on Saturday, June 3.