BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of Plus-II Science students staged a dharna in front Council of Higher Secondary Education (CHSE) office here on Saturday protesting the new examination pattern for Biology papers. The annual examination is scheduled to begin from March 6 next year.Opposing the decision of CHSE to conduct both Botany and Zoology papers as one paper - Biology in a single sitting, the agitating students demanded separate examinations for Botany and Zoology papers on different days.
In a recent notification, the CHSE had announced to conduct the Plus-II examinations in line with CBSE format and it had decided to conduct Biology paper in one sitting three hours instead of two papers, two hours each, which was the earlier trend.Students alleged they were not informed by the Council from the beginning of the sessions and it would be difficult for them to prepare since the syllabus is huge. “There was no information about the single sitting.
Even we have appeared for two separate papers during our pre-tests in the college. How can they take decision without even intimating us?” they wondered. Some other students claimed that earlier there was at least a gap of three days between the two papers and those were being conducted for two hours each. But this time the CHSE has decided to conduct it in one sitting for a stretch of three hours. Candidates will have to appear for the papers, 90 minutes each one after another. There is no gap either.
The students were, however, pacified after Secretary Satyajit Das, Examination Controller BK Sahu and Deputy Controller Prabodh Kumar Panda assured them to take up their demands with the CHSE Chairman and find out a solution soon. Panda said the students were earlier informed that the exam this year will be conducted as per CBSE pattern.