The marks normalisation process for junior college admissions, struck down by the Bombay high court in 2008, may be back.
The bugbear of intermediate students of ICSE and CBSE schools is threatening to haunt them again. The marks normalisation process for junior college admissions, struck down by the Bombay high court in 2008, may be back.
When the ‘percentile formula’ was proposed in 2008, it was met with stiff opposition from students of the two boards. The formula was for standardising the scores of students from all the boards.
The state is now planning to rework the formula. A school education department official said a committee of experts, including statisticians, academics from IIT Bombay and lawyers, will produce the draft within 15 days.
“The percentile formula was technically correct. Even the court’s order stated that the state government needs to streamline admissions within the parameters of constitutional rights,” the official said. “The court also said that the government may devise a method of normalisation in view of the increasing number of schools from other boards.”
This time around, the government is ensuring that no hasty decision is taken and all stakeholders are given equal opportunity to present their opinion. Therefore, a law to regularise junior college admissions will take at least two years to finalise.
“There should not be any room for criticism. The state will use executive powers in framing a law, on the basis of which policies would be framed. It will not be challenged in court,” the official said.
“The 2008 formula was ideal. But it underwent several manipulations before it was made into a government resolution (GR). We are planning to rework it and include it in a bill we plan to introduce soon,” said school education minister Balasaheb Thorat. “There has to be some standardisation policy.”
The formula, issued in a GR, was devised by Vasant Purke, who was then school education minister. Xavier Luis, a parent of an ICSE student, moved court against the GR and got it stayed. His petition stated that SSC students were getting undue advantage with the formula.
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