OUR CORRESPONDENT
KOKRAJHAR: The All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) on Friday expressed concern over the decision of the government to conduct another examination for students who want government jobs but passed on the basis of evaluation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The president of the ABSU, Dipen Boro in a press meet held at Bodofa House in Kokrajhar on Friday, said that in regard to the notification issued by the Education Department for evaluation and declaration of the result of HSLC and HSSLC- 2021 due to pandemic COVID-19, in Sl. 05 it is clearly mentioned that the marks secured by the students in this evaluation process by SEBA/AHSEC without holding physical examination will be acceptable for admission to the next higher class in educational institutions and future career, where passing of such examination is considered as qualifying examination. But for those students who aspire to become teachers/employees in the education department of Assam or any other department under the Government of Assam where recruitment of teachers/employees is substantially based on HSLC or HSSLC marks, without there being any scope of written test or interview, will have to appear in special HSLC/HSSLC examination to be conducted later after improvement of the situation as stated in Para-4 so that they are at par with previous or future batches of HSLC/HSSLC in assessment of merit.
Boro demanded to review the decision of appearing in another examination for those aspiring for government jobs. He said there should not be separate marksheet/certificate for taking higher studies and applying for jobs as it would dilute the very spirit of cancelling the HSLC/HSSLC examination due to the pandemic situation. He also said that students should not be deprived of equal opportunity and justice in terms of qualification because perhaps the students were ready for the examination but due to the pandemic situation, the matriculation and intermediate exams were cancelled.
"Question arises that if a student qualifies with the present evaluation and later if he fails in that special HSLC/HSSLC examination, then which marksheet/certificate will be applicable for him? Either the student will continue for higher studies or he has to accept the marksheet where he has failed," he said, adding that if a student continued to higher education and after some years if he applies for job and his candidature gets rejected due to COVID certificate, what will be the implication on his career? Boro demanded for one student, one examination/evaluation and one marksheet.
"The recent advertisement and syllabus for Assam Judicial Service (AJS) direct recruitment for the post of Grade III as published by Registrar, Gauhati High Court, mentions Paper V for 50 marks as proficiency in official language. But only Assamese language is mentioned. Despite representations by the ABSU to the Government of Assam and as demanded by All Assam Lawyers' Association to include Bodo language in Paper V, that Bodo language being the eight scheduled language under the Constitution of India and now being the associate official language of Assam after the BTR Accord, it has been inserted in the official language law of the State by the Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2020, which received assent of the Governor on January 27, 2021 and was published in the Assam Gazzette. Accordingly, under Section 5A, the Bodo language in Devanagri script shall be used as an associate official language for all or any of the official purposes of the State of Assam," the ABSU president said. The ABSU demanded for early inclusion of Bodo language in the Assam Judicial Service exam as per the spirit of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, amended in 2020.
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