Himachal board orders re-evaluation of Class 12 English paper following complaints

The Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBOSE) has decided to re-evaluate the marks of the Class 12 English exam after an inquiry revealed a “human error” in the use of incorrect answer keys during evaluation.

The issue came to light after several students reported unexpectedly low scores following the announcement of the Class 12 board exam results.

The matter was flagged by the Himachal Pradesh Government Teachers Union (HPGTU) and private school associations, prompting Education Minister Rohit Thakur to direct the board to investigate and take corrective measures.

HPBOSE Secretary Vishal Sharma confirmed that the discrepancy stemmed from the use of wrong answer keys for the English paper that had been cancelled earlier.

“The board initiated an inquiry, which found that wrong answer keys of the cancelled paper had been uploaded due to a ‘human error’ that led to the discrepancies,” Sharma said.

The original English exam was held on March 8 but was rescheduled to March 29 after an incident at the Government Senior Secondary School in Chowari, Chamba district, where teachers mistakenly opened the Class 12 question paper instead of the Class 10 one a day before the exam.

Accepting the error, the board announced that answer sheets of students who received low marks will be re-evaluated using the correct answer key.

“The marks would only be increased, and not cut, in the amended results to be declared soon,” officials said.

The re-evaluation is expected to provide relief to students and restore confidence in the examination process.