THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the closely contested 63rd State School Arts Festival, the appeals committee received a total of 456 appeals from participants. These included 345 lower-level appeals from the district level and 111 higher-level appeals.
While the number of lower-level appeals was reduced to just three on the concluding day, 29 higher-level appeals posed a significant challenge for the organisers.
Higher-level appeals are filed by students who dispute the scores at the state level. As per the rules, applicants have the right to file an appeal within one hour of the declaration of results.
“We were able to complete all events by 3 pm, ensuring that all appeals could be heard and the results published on time. It was a seamless coordination despite the high number of appeals,” said a senior official with the Directorate of General Education.
The department collected Rs 52.25 lakh in appeals fees. After review, Rs 8.1 lakh was refunded for 68 lower-level appeals and 26 higher-level appeals. The fee for lower-level appeals was doubled to Rs 10,000, and the fee for first appeals to the Deputy Director of Education rose from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000.