HYDERABAD: Intermediate students in the State who are studying in Hindi medium have stirred a controversy alleging that they were given a poorly translated question paper on Wednesday for their exams.
The issue erupted because the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) didn't translate the paper into Hindi this year. Instead, it informed colleges to arrange for spot translators who would translate the questions into Hindi.
In Telangana, only two centres - Adarsh Hindi Maha Vidyalaya Junior College, Nizamabad and Hindi Maha Vidyalaya Junior College, Nallakunta, have Hindi medium students giving their exams. Overall, there are 56 students.
Of these, 24 are 2nd year students and 32 are 1st year students.The allegation was that handwritten translated copies were given to students with a delay leading to many not being able to understand what was written and having lesser time to attempt the questions.
The TSBIE officials called it a malicious attempt to stir up controversy over an issue which was caused due to pandemic-related shortage of teachers. They said the practice to set question papers in Telugu and English is by regular junior lecturers after which it is translated into Hindi or Urdu by regular lecturers.
However, as there are no regular Hindi medium lecturers, the board uses the services of retired regular Hindi medium lecturers.
"Due to COVID, elderly retired lecturers are not available. Keeping in view the confidential nature of the work, translation of question paper work cannot be entrusted to anyone other than junior lecturers," said a statement from TSBIE secretary Syed Omer Jaleel.
He clarified that in advance on March 5, the college principals of the two colleges offering Hindi medium were told that they would be given English papers. They were told that a subject lecturer in Hindi medium should translate it into Hindi and compensatory time for translation would be given.
The same method is followed for Marathi and Kannada medium exams as well, they add.