Council admits to tough paper

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">KOLKATA: The West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education has admitted to a printing error in the physics question paper in this year''s HS examination. The examination took place on Saturday.<br /><br />The physics paper came in for criticism especially after a candidate committed suicide on Tuesday. The suicide note mentioned that he had performed miserably in the physics paper and hence had no other choice.<br /><br />Arindam Nandy of Ramkrishna Sangha Higher Secondary School was found hanging in his Baranagar house on Tuesday.<br /><br />The Council described the incident as "shocking", but while admitting that the paper was tougher compared to the second paper, the Council said it should not have induced such a reaction in a candidate.<br /><br />"I am aware that candidates complained about the first paper in physics.But this is one paper where your concept on different theories should be clear so that you can attempt the problems. Admittedly some found the paper tough," said Council secretary, D i b y e n d u Chakraborty.<br /><br />He however, said an error in question 7c had been noticed by the Council and it owed an apology to the candidates. "The question carried four marks and anyone who attempted it will be given full marks," Chakraborty said. <br /><br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Paper errors</span><br /><br />Meanwhile, teachers belonging to the Secondary Teachers'' and Employees'' Association have found at least 10 errors in the English second language paper-I and Bengali first language paper- II in the ongoing Higher Secondary examination.<br /><br />The STEA has listed these errors, most of which are typographical ones, and incorporated them in a letter sent to state school education minister, Kanti Biswas.<br /><br />"How can the Council be so lackadaisical about question papers in such a big public examination? Paper setters get enough time to finalise and scrutinise question papers before the examination. Such mistakes are not acceptable," said STEA secretary, Ratan Laskar.<br /><br />Citing examples Laskar said, "In question 1b of the Bengali paper for instance, one had to write an essay on Soujanya O Shikshachar. The last word is wrong and should have been Shishtachar," Laskar said. <br /><br />Similarly the word Kahini has been wrongly spelt in question no. III and Britain has been spelt Briton in another question. Criticising the English first paper, the letter points out that the question which asks, "What according to him is the basis of his power?" is a confusing one, because the text, "My Week with Gandhi" by Forster does not provide an answer to this question.<br /><br />A structural error has been pointed out in question 3d, the name of General Mac Arthur has been wrongly spelt as Macarthur in question 3e, question 3h says princess instead of princesses, a construction error has been pinpointed in question 4a and finally question 8b, which said, "What according to Mrs Meldon do statesmen do during war?" did not have the answer in the one act play "Progress", the letter said.<br /></div> </div>