Cabinet approves 20% grace marks for XI students
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. PHOTO: FILE
The Sindh cabinet has approved granting grace marks to first-year intermediate students in Karachi, following recommendations from a sub-committee of the assembly.
According to the chief minister's spokesperson, 20% grace marks will be awarded to all students of High School Certificate part one (HSC-I) or grade XI in specific subjects, including 20 marks in Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics held under the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) in 2024. Additionally, the chief minister has directed the Universities and Boards Department to implement reforms across education boards.
The chief minister has directed the chief secretary to establish a high-level committee to investigate irregularities in all education boards and submit a report. This decision comes just 12 days before the exams, potentially affecting the timely commencement of intermediate exams. The Department of Universities and Boards still needs to issue a notification regarding this decision, after which BIEK will initiate implementation.
However, the implementation process is expected to be time-consuming, requiring multiple stages to modify the results.
Notably, the Karachi Inter Board currently lacks a permanent head. Following the retirement of acting chairman Professor Sharaf Ali Shah, no permanent or acting chairman has been appointed, leaving the board without a decision-making authority.
According to sources within, the Department of Universities and Boards recently submitted a summary to the controlling authority, recommending that the charge of the Karachi Inter Board be assigned to the newly-appointed chairman of Karachi Matriculation Board, while the charge of the Hyderabad Board be assigned to an Additional Secretary of the Department of Universities and Boards.
However, the controlling authority sought details about the experience and expertise of the additional secretary in question, following which both summaries were sent back. As a result, both boards are currently functioning without chairmen.