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When students are not happy they should fight for their rights. Here is best example.![]()
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CBSE shocker: Huge errors in totalling board exam marksJun 18, 2017, 12.57AM IST![]()
NEW DELHI: Sonali, a Delhi student, was horrified to learn, on May 29, that she had scored a mere 68 in mathematics in her Class XII exam.![]()
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With 99 in economics, 95 in accountancy and 96 in business studies, the maths marks just didn't add up. Samiksha Sharma's dream of making it to a North Campus college was almost shattered when she scored 42 in maths, after scoring well in English, Business Studies and Fine Arts.![]()
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It was only after the two students applied to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for verification retotaling of marks that Samiksha's 42 more than doubled to 90. As for Sonali, her maths score went up from 68 to a respectable 95. These are not stray cases.![]()
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Documents accessed by TOI revealed how Mohammad Affan, a Mumbai student who scored 80% and above in all his subjects, scored just 50 in maths. After verification, his marks were revised to 90. Another economics student who was 'failed' with 9 marks finally ended up with 45.![]()
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TOI mailed and texted a questionnaire to CBSE's chairperson and spokesperson on Saturday but there was no official response till late on Saturday evening.![]()
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However, a senior CBSE official admitted that the number of applications for verification of marks has been unprecedented, although he didn't reveal the exact number.![]()
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This raises two important questions. First, what is wrong with the totaling process and how fair is it for the CBSE to do away with re-evaluation altogether?![]()
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CBSE currently only allows verification while re-evaluation is possible only after a court order.![]()
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Ashok Pandey, chairperson of National Progressive Schools' Conference, an association of over 200 leading private schools in the country, strongly favoured a relook a the CBSE decision to scrap re-evaluation. "It is in the best interest of the students.![]()
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CBSE, being the premier school education board in the country, should definitely take a lead in doing enough to bring in transparency," said Pandey.![]()
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Sonali, whose marks increased by 27 (from 68 to 95) post verification, pointed out that unlike her, students who were not very confident or scared didn't even bother going for the verification process.![]()
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"As I wanted to pursue Economics (Honours), I had no option but to go for verification. However, many others didn't apply out of fear or thought that nothing will happen out of this exercise," said Sonali.![]()
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A senior official with the CBSE exam branch, while agreeing that there were mistakes in the process, said that the difference could be due to various reasons mistakes in totaling of marks, incorrect transfer of marks to the title page (the front of the answer books) and detachment of supplementary answer books.![]()
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Parents level another criticism, saying that the CBSE's decision to link the two processes - verification and obtaining photocopy of the evaluated answer sheet is anti-student. At present, only students who apply for verification can get a photocopy.![]()
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"All students should be allowed to obtain their evaluated answer sheets and then if they want, they should be allowed to apply for re-evaluation," said a parent on anonymity.
Drones owned by one of the world’s largest gold mining companies are being destroyed by native eagles, costing the company thousands of dollars.![]()
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Mining is one of the most destructive forces currently on the face of the planet. Mines, since the Industrial Era, have poisoned the environment and its workers alike. Gold mining is particularly destructive as its waste carries mercury and cyanide, which are typically used to extract gold from rock. These potent neurotoxins persist in the environment, poisoning the soil, and contaminate water supplies permanently. Gold mining also releases hundreds of tons of elemental mercury into the air annually. In addition, this type of mining is considered particularly destructive because of its wastefulness – over 20 tons of rock and soil must be “treated” and then dislodged to produce enough gold for a single ring. Recently, in the US, the toxic consequences of gold mining were on full display when the Environmental Protection Agency’s incompetence in cleaning out an abandoned gold mine turned the Animas river orange after heavy metal-laden mining waste drained into the river. Before this tragic accident, the EPA had reported that 40% of Western US watersheds had been permanently contaminated by mining.![]()
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Now that gold mining is not as common as it once was in the US, many other countries have been exploited by gold mining firms in its absence. One of these countries is Australia. Mining in Australia is a major industry with gold mining in Western Australia alone generating over $10 billion every year. However, some of the gold mines there have been experiencing a costly and unexpected problem as nature has apparently decided to fight back against its incursions. Drones that are used to survey the territory around gold mines are being destroyed by native wedge-tailed eagles. Rick Steven, a mine surveyor in the region, said that he had lost nine of his Trimble UX5 drones to eagles, which he labeled “the natural enemy” of drones. After the attacks began, Steven camouflaged his drones as baby eagles. However, the ruse only worked temporarily as 50 flights later the eagles realized the disguised drones were not what they seemed. Each of these drones costs an impressive $20,000, meaning that gold mining companies are losing money fast thanks to the eagles’ intervention. One of these companies, Gold Fields, has already lost over $100,000.
Across the Aisle: Demonetising notes or demonising cash?![]()
It has emerged, through whispers of course, that besides the Prime Minister no more than four officials were in the loop, and the Chief Economic Adviser was not among the four!![]()
Written by P Chidambaram | Published:November 20, 2016 ![]()
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I am obliged to return to the subject of ‘Old Notes for New’ because the hardship and suffering of the people continue. It is now clear that the decision to demonetise notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 was ill-conceived, the preparation was terrible and the implementation was horrible. It has also emerged, through whispers of course, that besides the Prime Minister no more than four officials were in the loop, and the Chief Economic Adviser was not among the four!![]()
Horrendous consequences![]()
Look at the disruption:![]()
1. About 86 per cent of the currency in circulation was declared ‘illegal tender’ in one fell swoop, leaving practically no money with millions of people. There was no money to buy milk or medicines, pay for an auto or taxi, or buy vegetables or grain. I know people who went without a meal for a whole day because no eatery would accept a Rs 500 note.![]()
2. There are 1,34,000 branches of banks in the country. Add 2,15,000 ATMs of which about 40 per cent were working. Assuming that 500 persons, on average, stood in line outside each branch or ATM, every day more than 11 crore people spent hours standing in a queue to exchange notes. Most of them were working people. Calculate the impact on production and productivity. Parliament Adjourned Amid Debate Over Demonetisation Issue![]()
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3. For some inexplicable reason, cooperative banks were not allowed to exchange the notes. Millions of farmers could not deposit or withdraw money and, in the sowing season, there was no money to buy seeds or fertilisers or hire labour.![]()
4. Wholesale markets shut down. Weekly fairs stopped. Retail outlets reported a calamitous fall in sales.![]()
5. Industrial hubs such as Tiruppur, Surat, Ichalkaranji etc ground to a halt because there was no money to pay wages to the workers and no money to pay for ancillary and support services like transport.![]()
6. About 33 per cent of all employed persons are casual labourers (estimated at 15 crore). Suddenly, they found themselves without work because those who employed them could not find the money to pay wages.![]()
7. Brokers and touts sprung up offering to exchange the ‘demonetised’ notes for a price. Men and women, without regular work, offered to stand in line to exchange notes for a fee. Honest people turned dishonest to get some money. The government’s response was to use indelible ink to mark the finger. It could have added a voting machine and converted each bank branch and ATM into a polling station!![]()
Ignorant boasts![]()
The pain and suffering will continue because it will take months to print 2,200 crore notes of the new series to replace the old series and because of the limitations of bank staff and the ATMs (yet to be recalibrated). Meanwhile, the boasts of the government will unravel:![]()
WILL DEMONETISATION END BRIBERY? Of course, not. Those who will take bribes will take them in the new notes. A case of bribery was reported from Gujarat where two officials of the Kandla Port Trust were caught receiving 124 notes of Rs 2,000!![]()
WILL IT STOP COUNTERFEITING? Of course, not. If one human can print notes with new security features, another human can find a way to copy those features. The most counterfeited currency in the world is the US dollar. One way to combat counterfeiting is to phase out, periodically, old series of notes and introduce new series and try to stay one step ahead. The last time we did that was in January 2014.![]()
WILL IT PLUG GENERATION OF BLACK MONEY? Of course, not. Sectors which are prone to use unaccounted money (wholesale trade, construction, jewellery, higher education, election funding etc) will continue to demand unaccounted money and, therefore, ways will be found to supply unaccounted money.![]()
No major economy is entirely free from the scourge of a black or shadow economy. According to a World Bank study, the shadow economy in the US is 8.6 per cent of GDP (or about USD1,600 billion); in China 12.7 per cent (about USD 1,400 billion); and in Japan 11 per cent (about USD 480 billion). India’s shadow economy is estimated to be USD 500 billion (22.2 per cent of its GDP of USD 2,250 billion). It is large, but not unusual, and the good news is that its size is shrinking. Brazil, Russia and South Africa have larger shadow economies; Israel and Belgium are comparable.![]()
Demonising cash![]()
The Prime Minister seems to have bought the idea of a cashless economy and decided to wage a war on cash. His supporters called it a ‘surgical strike’, little realising that the bulk of the money transactions of the people of India are legitimate and in cash — and will be in cash for a long time — for many reasons. Let me share one crucial data point: for 133 crore people, at the retail level, there are only 14,60,000 Points of Sale (POS)! Cash to digital is a long journey. The ‘surgical strike’ post-Uri was intended to put an end to infiltrations, but the reality is that there has been a three-fold jump in infiltrations (as admitted by the government).![]()
The ‘surgical strike’ on currency has resulted in the immiserisation of millions of people and bringing many sectors of the economy to a grinding halt. I shudder to think what the next ‘surgical strike’ will be and what dreadful consequences that will bring.
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Vincent H Pala, INC Shillong, Meghalaya: http://youtu.be/g3kPRm0Qzr4 via @YouTube
Checkout Vincent Pala Watch Video
Vincent Pala is a Member of Parliament and belongs to the Indian National Congress political party. In the year 2019, he was elected as Member of Parliament in 17th Lok Sabha representing Shillong, Meghalaya. Also, he was elected as Member of Parliament in 15th and 16th Lok Sabha from Shillong constituency in the years 2009 and 2014, respectively.
About Neta
| Permanent address | Edamanry Cottage, Dhankheti, Shillong, Meghlaya- 793001 |
| Constituency name | Shillong |
| Date of birth | 1968-02-14 |
| Age | 51 Years |
| Gender | male |
| Place of birth | Lamyrsiang |
| Citizenship | indian |
| Other political affiliations | NA |
| Party name | Indian National Cogress |
| Education | Graduate |
| Profession | Engineer and Social Worker |
| Father's name | John Pala |
| Mother's name | Hermelinda Pala |
| Spouse's name | Dimorine Tariang |
| Spouse profession | Job |
| [email protected] | |
| Fax | (0364) 2504321 |
Assets & Liabilities
| Assets | Rs 549,515,421 |
| Liabilities | Rs 1 |
Details of Criminal Cases
Nothing found.
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