BHUBANESWAR: Evaluation of Plus Two answer sheets was severely hit on Monday with agitating block grant teachers refusing to participate in the process despite directives by the Higher Education Department.
Less than 15 per cent of teachers belonging to 488 and 662 category colleges participated in the evaluation while the others picketed outside evaluation zones in Bhubaneswar and other parts of the State.
At many places, the agitators prevented teachers from entering the zones bringing the correction process to halt. A majority of the evaluation zones, where digital correction of answer sheets was to take place, wore a deserted look. The teachers have been asking the Government to abolish the block grant system and provide full aid.
In the wake of law and order situation outside the evaluation zones, the Council of Higher Secondary Examination (CHSE) has sought intervention of the State Police. In a letter to Additional DG of Police Satyajit Mohanty, CHSE Chairman Basudev Chattoi sought to invoke provisions of Conduct of Examination Act, 1988 against agitating teachers who are preventing others from evaluating answer sheets.
At least 15,000 teachers, a majority of them belonging to the 488 and 662 category colleges, were selected by the CHSE to participate in evaluation process. Around 8,000 of them were selected for digital evaluation of answer sheets of Science and Commerce streams.
Chattoi conducted an emergency meeting later in the day where it was decided to rope in retired lecturers and faculty members of self-financing colleges to evaluate the answer sheets. The CHSE has also called for an examination committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Evaluation will be carried out in two phases. While the language and ancillary papers in Science and Commerce streams will be digitally evaluated till April 13, the second phase from April 16 to April 25 will see correction of main papers of both the streams.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahy said stringent action will be taken against the agitating teachers. He was optimistic about publishing the Plus Two results in time. The Department has decided to publish the results of Science students by mid-May to enable them to appear the JEE Advance Entrance test.