MUMBAI: In a bizarre twist, 175 answer sheets of Class 12 students who took this paper in the board exam last month went up in flames at the Virar residence of the teacher assigned to grade them. The answer sheets were of students in the Commerce stream, the subject being ‘Organisation of Commerce’.
Bolinj police have registered a case of negligence against the teacher, as state board regulations mandate that answer sheets be assessed in the school premises. A case of negligence has also been registered against the principal of the Virar-based junior college in question, as the custodian of answer sheets.
The incident, caused by a suspected short circuit in the teacher’s home, surfaced after a video of the burnt answer sheets went viral on social media, prompting police action. The teacher lives in Nanabhat in Virar. Jyotsna Shinde, Divisional Secretary of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, filed a complaint at the Bolinj police station on behalf of the government. She was accompanied by Sangita Bhagwat, District Education Officer of the Secondary Department, Palghar.
Shinde assured students and parents that the accident would not impact their results. “Since the answer sheets had already been checked and graded, the students will not be affected. In cases where answer sheets are destroyed due to unavoidable circumstances, the board follows a policy of awarding marks based on the average of other subjects,” she clarified.
Bolinj police have seized the burnt answer sheets as part of their investigation. It appears the teacher had taken home 300 answer sheets for evaluation, of which 175 were destroyed in the blaze.
Deputy commissioner of police Jayant Bajbale of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police said, “We have registered a complaint and have asked for all reports regarding the fire. A thorough investigation will be conducted.”
Mahendra Ganpule, former spokesperson of the Maharashtra State Principals’ Association, emphasised the regulatory framework governing answer-sheet evaluations. “According to the rules, the principal is the custodian of the answer sheets, and teachers are required to check them during working hours. However, given the current staff shortage across schools and junior colleges, it is practically impossible for teachers to manage both teaching and paper-checking within school hours,” he said.
Sharing first-hand experience of the workload, a Class 12 examination moderator said, “I have received 1,475 answer sheets for assessment. I am also expected to manage several other school duties. The administration advises us to complete paper-checking at home. And when teachers are on leave, their off-duty hours are adjusted into our schedules, making it difficult to balance academic responsibilities.”