Guwahati, Jul 20: With the Assam Police unearthing a 'cash-for-marks' scam in state board examinations, the opposition Congress on Monday demanded Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's intervention to initiate corrective measures for the interest of students.
The party also urged the authorities to re-examine the record-based evaluation systems approved by the government for class 10 and 12 students under the state boards.
The entire matter should be given due importance by the CM and the education department, and those associated with the fraud should be awarded punishment, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Debabrata Saikia said.
"Keeping in mind the future of our students, the evaluation system should be re-examined. We demand that a proper scientific system should be adopted to take the students to the next level," he said.
Saikia also said the Congress had expressed reservations over the record-based evaluation system when it was announced last month.
The Assam government had cancelled this year's class 10 and 12 state board examinations due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation, and two committees were set up to propose procedures to evaluate students. Both the panels had submitted their recommendations to the authorities.
"We demanded that the state should follow the Karnataka government and organise exams in Assam by observing COVID protocols," Saikia said.
The authorities should increase the number of exam centres by five-six times and use OMR sheets for reducing the time and allowing the students to answer multiple-choice questions, he said.
"But the state government refused to reconsider the matter. As a result, some unscrupulous elements got the opportunity to play with the future of the students," Saikia said.
The Assam Police had on Sunday unearthed a scam of awarding higher marks in class 10 and 12 state board examinations in lieu of money and arrested two persons in this connection from Kamrup district.
Principal of Majortop Higher Secondary School in Goroimari Akkas Ali and an office assistant at Inspector of Schools Prashanta Das were arrested.
Four others, including a school inspector and coordinator of the state board, were also detained for their alleged involvement in the cash-for-marks scam. They were later released after interrogation.
The Kamrup District Police will broaden the scope of the investigation as it suspects that the racket has its links in other districts of the state as well, Superintendent of Police Hitesh Ch Roy had said.
