GUJARAT State Information Commission (SIC) has asked Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Board (GSHSEB) to furnish certified copies of the evaluated answer sheets for the recently announced Class XII (Science) examination results within the next 15 days.
In its decision, announced on Monday, SIC also asked the Board to furnish a certified copy of the model key answers to 103 students, who had earlier sought the same with the copy of their answer sheets, under the Right to Information Act’s life and liberty clause.
Under the clause, the information sought should be furnished within 48 hours. The Board had earlier refused to furnish the information contending that the clause doesn’t apply in this case as this doesn’t effect the life and liberty of the students.
The SIC had heard the matter on May 25. It has also directed the Board to ensure that the information is disclosed only to the students or their guardians, and the identity of examiners, moderators or coordinators is not disclosed in any manner.
Talking to Express Newsline, State Information Commissioner R N Das said that the Board had contended that such disclosure might open a deluge of similar enquiry, which might virtually render the working of the Board impossible. “But as public bodies, they’ll have to evolve a mechanism to address such queries in the due course of time,” he maintained.
Meanwhile, SIC’s decision hasn’t gone down too well with the Board, which is now busy examining the order thoroughly.
“We are closely studying the order and its implications, and seeking legal opinion, which should be available in a day or two,” said Board secretary R K Pathak, adding, “At this point, we do not rule out the possibility of challenging this order in court.”
The parents of the students are, however, overjoyed with the decision. “This is a historic decision which will bring transparency in the Board’s functioning,” said Suresh Patel, a city-based civil engineer, whose daughter Unnati Patel was one of the complainants.
“There is always a scope for human error in the evaluation process. Even I had to get my papers re-checked which resulted in increasing my marks and subsequently I became an engineer,” Patel said, adding that the board should take this decision positively and implement it in the right spirit.
However, he pointed out, “In case the Board goes to court, we’ll fight the case through.”