A conglomeration of NGOs from Garo Hills, including the GSU, FKJGP and AYWO have written to the chief minister, Conrad Sangma, seeking his intervention in cases of incorrect data entry into their mark sheets.
The matter, as per the NGOs had been communicated to them through the parents of various students and was mainly Tura centric.
“We understand that NEHU is not fully functional due to the pandemic and they are at 30% working capacity. However we have been receiving numerous complaints from parents. We have been in contact at least with the Principal of Tura Govt. College regarding the problems of the students and have been sharing information so as not to create panic,” they said.
The last date of correction of mark sheets has been set at July 15 by NEHU but the NGOs said that either there was a miscommunication or negligence as some mark sheets of the students have been corrected while others were not.
The common complaints of the degree students were that they have appeared for the exams either online or offline and have submitted the hard copy of the written exams. They have finished their internal assessment but in the mark sheet it was marked absent.
Further NEHU issued admit cards with wrong subjects and many students and despite appearing for the correct subjects, they were marked absent. They also added that many students have been invalidated but asked on what grounds was the same done.
“Some students complained that it appears they failed their exams but marks for exams and the respective Internal Assessment marks across subjects were the same making the whole thing contentious and doubtful,” they asserted.
They also asked as to how admissions to master’s degree courses could be made with the mark sheet problem which showed them absent.
“Another problem is the final year degree students who have cleared their entire semesters except for the papers which have been marked absent. If after filling up the forms if they have successfully cleared their exams on corrections by NEHU, will their fees be given back,” they asked.
The NGOs stated that the problem seems to have happened mostly in Tura in the various colleges in the district.
“The desperation of students can be gauged from their distraught calls for help. It still is perplexing how these problems have not occurred in different parts of Meghalaya but only in some colleges of Garo Hills,” they asked.
The matter of the appointment of the vice principal of Higher Secondary school was also highlighted with the NGOs asking Principals of all the colleges to carefully solve the problem lest the students get into a messy situation.
The NGOs felt the situation was a powder keg and could explode at any time unless worked on, adding that the future of students should not be messed with.
“We appeal to the Meghalaya Government and NEHU for necessary corrective measures for the benefit of students,” they added.
