Last minute change in rules : A big disappointment for ICSE students

New Delhi : First-year junior college (FYJC) aspirants from the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) board were disappointed on Thursday with a “last-minute change” by the state education department.

The students were allowed to enter marks of only top five subjects, as against six subjects last year.

The state education department had allowed ICSE students to enter their best-of five marks from subjects in group 1 and 2 or enter the scores of six or seven subjects. Officials at the state education department said the decision has been taken as the board now offers the sixth subject from group 3.

“As the state rule permits students to calculate their scores only on the basis of the first two groups, we have asked students to enter the marks of only five subjects as the sixth subject cannot be considered,” said an official from the department.

“Many of us had already filled in the marks as per the old format yesterday, but got messages today asking us to change them. This is really unfair on us and the department should not behave in such an ad-hoc fashion,” said a student.

A principal of a school in Kandivli said the change had been made without informing students beforehand.

“Until now, students could use their scores from all the six subjects if they wanted to. However, as per a ticker flashing on the admission website today, students are only allowed to enter the marks of their first five subjects,” said the principal.

In 2012, the education department had issued a circular clearing the rules for ICSE students in FYJC admissions in accordance with a Supreme Court order of July 13, 2010, which said, “Students who do not wish to calculate their final scores on the best of-five method have to consider the scores of all the seven subjects in which he/she is examined”.