June 11: There's a long queue outside the HSC Board office at Sion. While their friends are filling up admission forms in colleges, these students are waiting in blazing sun to submit their appeals for verification of marks.

A majority of them feel that a few out-of-syllabus questions and, what they believe is, board's failure to compensate them for that, has landed them here.This year there were some erroneous and out-of-syllabus questions in mathematics, physics and chemistry.

Shortly after the brouhaha over the question papers, the state education minister, Sudhir Joshi and minister of state for education, Anil Deshmukh had said on the floor of the House that students who had attempted these questions would be given marks. The ministers had promised 11 marks in mathematics, 3 in physics and 2 in chemistry. But most students feel they have not got the marks.SNDT's Harneet Kohli, who has scored 20 marks out of 100 in Maths, says: ``I am absolutely sure I have not been awarded marks for attempting the wrong questions.''Shuhaid Lambe from Khalsa College is not only miffed by his maths marks, but is equally frustrated with his physics and chemistry score also. Students from some better known colleges like Jai Hind and Mithibai too have similar complaints. Students with high score like Rustom Battliwala from Behramjee Jejebhoy (266 out of 300) are also seeking verification.The general secretary of Mumbai Junior College Teachers Union, M R Andhalkar says: ``Several teachers have complained that the board's decision to allot marks for erroneous questions was conveyed to them very late, depriving many students of rightful marks.''MJCTU has already sent a letter urging the board that special care be taken to see that students who have attempted the erroneous questions get what they deserve. They fear that since only the board's Pune office can ensure this, MJCTU feels the decision be taken without wasting any time. The board officials could not be contacted.Shiny Mendonca of Mithibai college, who scored 80 out of 100 in maths, said such carelessness on the board's part can have disastrous consequences for students. ``A difference of one mark can make whole lot of difference in admissions to professional courses like engineering. If you get less than 293, you do not get free seats and if your score is below 289, you won't get even a pay seat in Mumbai.'' Last year, about 7,500 students had applied for verification, this year the number is likely to double, fears Andhalkar.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.