MARK-BIASED AND BOARD-BIASED ADMISSION

May, a month when the air is filled with mild aroma of Gulmohar, spreading its branches like a peacock with red feathers. It is a month when beauty lingers in the surroundings.

But that is not all about May. Tension, anxiety, and morale of students is put to test the same month, every year. Students of class X and XII await their board exam results through out the country, no matter which board they belong to.
Every state has its own syllabus unlike a centralized syllabus like CBSE or ICSE. And it also happens that a clash always exists between the state board and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The standards of CBSE syllabus being set by the National Council of Education Research and Training, is based on a concentric curriculum. Whilst State board syllabus being governed by the Department of Education under respective State Governments look forward to completion of schooling with a slightly easier syllabus to follow.

Unfortunately, as we see the trend, choice of boards seems to matter not for the standards and quality but for the result declaration and scoring issues. CBSE students of both Xth and XIIth are loosing the race for XIth and college admissions.

The bifurcation of writing school-based examination or Board-based examination for class X of CBSE has proved to be a pain in the neck. Although the CBSE had declared that there is no difference between mark sheets issued for both examinations, it had also mentioned that students who wish to leave CBSE board must take up board exams rather than school based examination.

This had paved way for the state government to add restriction to admission for class XI students who took up school based examinations and later wanted to change to state syllabus. Students of Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, have been suffering for admissions for past two years. Maharashtra government had relaxed the constraints in the year 2011 calling it a ‘one year exception’ admitting students who had taken up school based exam. The kerala government has shown no mercy till now.

The standard XII students loosing out on admissions in colleges has become a familiar practice now. The delay in result declaration by CBSE has literally outcast them in the race to colleges.

Where states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu had declared their results in the first week of May, CBSE is yet to declare results with tentative dates on the website.

Most of the colleges that compete to absorb high scoring students have closed down admissions for CBSE students filling the seats with state board students under all available quotas leaving one or two colleges in exception.

There is no postulated rule by the government stating that colleges should a lot a quota for CBSE students and hence it is solely under the college’s discretion to admit them.

The Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education has set few guidelines for college admission.

i)                To start admission process only once the original mark sheet has been issued

ii)              To give a period of 10 working days to submit the application after issuing of original mark sheet.

iii)            To complete student admissions in aided courses prior to self financing courses.

As the above norms haven’t been followed in the colleges of Tamil Nadu, CBSE students loose chance even for unaided courses.

Most admissions are done based on the printed copy of mark sheet from the internet. By then CBSE students do not get a chance to apply and they are left with a few available management quota seats for which they have to shell out a heavy price.

The desperation to fill seats of colleges by the management, not abiding by the guidelines and also not giving a chance for CBSE students to learn has made the higher educational sector a dirty playground for money. It is a scenario where monetary benefit takes a step ahead, a scenario that showcases complete discrimination against students, which will make education a rottening business than moulding future of younger generations to come. Lack of qualitative monitoring and analysis system for both result declaration and admissions across the country might soon bring about an obsession for prepossession of seta by the student community who will loose confidence in education and gain access to capitation.

This worsening condition has to be soon put under scanner by the government bringing about a systematic process for admissions in schools and colleges. Bringing policies in effect to firstly, give clarity on examinations to be undertaken, boards to be accepted, and also a quota for CBSE students. These regulations can be brought about only if the decisions are made by the centre and not leaving it to the state authorities alone. A centralized procedure for admission is to be generated which should be mandated to be followed through out the country.

Though an easy take on centralized syllabus can be put in place, it is better said than done. Bringing about same syllabus through out the country with immediate effect would prove to be a struggle for failure as students of rural areas will be largely affected considering the amenities they enjoy today. A gradual replacement process within a decade can be definitely put on place, if the rulers and police makers combat to bring an educational revolution in the country.

WILL OR BILLS

While various issues were discussed in the February session 2013 of the G-20 summit at Moscow, ‘Violence against Women’ was not left out. It was in this gathering that India was declared as the worst place for women.

Increasing rates of female foeticide, infanticide, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and other forms of gender based violence has led our country to this Hall of Shame. A place where every 25 women fall victim to crimes with at least 3 of them being raped and 12 being tortured by husbands, India her own reasons to justify such acts.

From the reports revealed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) crime against women have escalated from 5.9%in 2006 to 7.8% during 2006-2011. The reports exhibit a steep rise in domestic violence as well showing a leap from 8.25% in 2006 to 11.41% in 2006-2011.

In 2006, the legislation passed a bill seeking “wife-beating” and “marital rape” as criminal offenses under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005. But this step seemed of little or of no help to stabilize the devasting situation.

According to a survey conducted by Students of Yale and Australian University, the cause for violence against women has been largely due to the prevailing dowry system and long term oppression of females. Though this doesn’t explain the larger picture of cruel physical assault on women just for physical pleasure. About 45% of the crimes against women are caused by cruelty by husbands and relatives. Laws quoting dowry system as a criminal practice began in 1961. 52 years later the system prevails deep rooted in the society self explaining the effective law enforcement in the country.

At this point it should be noted that it is not just the responsibility of numerous laws passed in the legislature to protect women but also that of Police department. We expect them to guard the streets and take us to protection during a mishap or violence. Safety of women on roads is a sloppy issue as far as India is concerned. Molestation, rapes, Physical assault are fear factors that exist inborn in every female in India. The protection strength in streets and public places have been thinned down to a great extend as protection of state and national VIPs seems to be of higher priority than protection of citizens itself.

The figure released by the Bureau of Police Research and Development(BPR&D) show that the number of police personnel on duty for protection of VIPs is much more than the actual sanctioned number of personnel. The country protects 14,842 VIPs with 47,557 police personnel when the actual sanctioned number is 32, 476- a 15,081 in excess. Many of the states like Bihar, UP, MP etc have a lop-sided ratio of police personnel to common people approximately at 1:1200.

The locational difference is striking for atrocities against women calling for slums to be first position followed by the rural and urban areas. This particular fact pulls us to recognize that educational background and employment among women reduces atrocities significantly. Surveys reveal that higher education among women expands fall back options for them outside home and thus lowers domestic violence. Also high levels of female earnings are vital for lowering domestic violence against women.

To draw a conclusion, personally, I would say that role of judicial, locational difference; socio-economic factor etc becomes insignificant unless the cultural aspect of dowry and protection for women changes perception in our society. 52 years after ban of dowry, it still persists as a major social issue and laws for protecting women against suppression has also been in records since 1956. Ultimately, these laws and empowerment can get into place only if the cultural mindset is changed and awareness is created in expansion of economic opportunities, higher education, asset accumulation, and above all a mutual respect is given to women.

Well, it is not only about men folk that need change of mindset, women themselves too are responsible for their own dignity and self expression to live a life of their choice.