Send suggestions to improve +2 exam

The state government has asked for suggestions from educationists, vice-chancellors, administrators, people’s representatives, students and mediapersons, among others, to list out possible measures on examination reforms for Plus II examination by April 15 in view of the recent question paper leak and manipulation of answer paper evaluation reported in previous years.

One can mail the suggestions to sptc.hed@gmail.com. People may also send their views by post or courier it to the state performance tracking cell (SPTC) of the higher education department at the state secretariat latest by April 15, the government notice said.

Mihir Das, the officer-in-charge of SPTC who is also the convenor of the six-member examination reforms committee, said the panel will thoroughly discuss all suggestions before making its recommendations to the government.

Director of higher education Satyakam Mishra heads the panel whose other members are Debendra Nath Mishra, commerce teacher at BJB College, K C Rout, the principal of JKBK College in Cuttack who earlier served as controller of examinations (CoE) at Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), Sushant Kumar Das, CoE of Utkal University and B S Rath, political science teacher at FM College-Balasore.

Educationists have said the committee should also suggest ways to regulate the self-financed colleges.

Notably, the crime branch of police has so far found that at least four such colleges in Sambalpur, Sundargarh and Kalahandi districts, that allegedly bought physics questions from CHSE officer Debendra Behera, who is now in judicial custody.

The committee will also examine practices followed by other examination conducting bodies such as Central Board of Secondary Education and various universities to streamline the functioning of Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE), which conducts the Plus II examination in Odisha. The government has formed the reforms committee after alleged leaks of physics and chemistry questions raised statewide protests and uproar by opposition parties in the assembly. Seven persons were arrested in connection with the leak by the Crime Branch and Kalahandi police.