Bandita Das was on cloud nine when she was informed that she had cleared the HSC examination with a first division scoring 443 marks out of 600.
Subsequently, she received her pass certificate along with the mark sheet and took admission in the nearby college. But her happiness was short-lived.
Nearly a fortnight after her admission in the Plus-II science in Betnoti college, Bandita, a native of Chandanpur panchayat in Mayurbhanj district, was served a notice by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE) that she had failed in the test.
A copy of the letter has been received by the authorities of B N New Government High School at Manatri where she was studying. They have been instructed to display the letter on the notice board of the Board’s zonal office at Balasore and deputy secretary (computer certificate) besides the school notice board.
While the letter from the Board indicates that it happened due to tampering of her roll number during the tabulation and change of roll number in the answer sheets of English paper, Mathematics, Science, Geography and History, the student and her parents blamed the Board officials for their callousness. Her parents have threatened to move to the court over the BSE letter.
Bandita’s father Sarat Chandra Das, a retired teacher, questioned how her roll number was changed in all her answer sheets.
“My daughter is a meritorious student and it is impossible that she has failed in the HSC examination,” he said.
The letter, however, has given a period of five days for any complaint to be registered.
Das said they would appeal before the Board authorities against the letter and then file a writ petition in the Orissa High Court.