 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

(NOTE-The numbers in brackets at the end of each recommendation refer to the paragraph/paragraphs in the main body of the report.)

A. Legislation

The State and Central Governments should immediately take suitable measures to get amending legislation passed in the relevant laws pertaining to the following matters:

(a) Empowering the Board/University to grant au- tonomous status to well-established institutions. (505).

(b) Empowering the examining authorities to check students and prohibit those with weapons from entering the examination halls. (4.04)

(d) Making the indulgence in malpractices by employees and authorities of the universities/ boards a cognisable offence. (4.04)

(e) Empowering the examining authorities to take out risk insurance for the invigilators and examiners. (4.04)

(f) Making the assault on an examiner or an invi- gilator or other person connected with examination, a cognisable offence. (4.04)

B. Conduct of Examinations

(a) Paper-setters should be appointed at least six months prior to the commencement of a Public Examination and they should be given at least eight weeks to draft questions. The papers should be finalised at a meeting of the papersetters. (4.03)

(b) Where the number of candidates in Public Exa- mination is very large, there should be decen-

tralisation with separate examinations for each group of 10,000 school students or 1,000 college students. (3.13; 4.03).

(c) A Public Examination should be- conducted in the institution in which the students study. The, majority of the invigilators and superintendents should be drawn from the institution concerned. (4.03)

(d) Admission to the centre of a Public Examination should be through one main entrance. Only bona fide candidates with identity cards should be admitted in the examination centre after thorough checking. (4.03)

(e) Model answers should always be prepared and supplied by the paper-setters. (4.03)

(f) Copies of the question-papers set should be made available to the teachers in the schools and colleges on the day of the examination but after it is over, so that the teachers could comment on the paper to the authorities quickly. (4.03)

(g) The method of spot valuation at a central place to which all the examiners are called, should be adopted. (2.13, 4.03)

(h) The result should be declared subject-wise and furnished in the form of grades. The 'raw' marks given by the examiners should never be made available. (3.11, 4.02)

(i) Subject-wise passing should be introduced and the Public Examination certificate should be given on the candidates passing in the minimum number of subjects. (3.10, 4.02)

(j) The certificate issued by an examining authority should have two columns, viz., one giving the result of Public Examination and the other giving the result of the internal assessment by the teachers. (4.02)

(k) For the awarding of prizes and scholarships to a candidate who stands first in an examination or in a subject, a separate test should be conducted and admission to the same limited to those who secure the highest grade in the Public Examination.

(l) There should not be too many Public Examina-

tions. There should be one at the end of the upper primary/middle school stage, another at the end of the secondary stage and the third at the first degree stage. All others should be internal assessments only. (5.04)

C. Use of Examination Results

(a) Recruitment to the services should be made on the basis of tests/examinations conducted by the Public Service Commissions and the maximum age for appointment for clerical posts be reduced to 19 years. (4.

(b) Admission to colleges including professional colleges should be on the basis of an entrance test conducted specifically for assessing the aptitude of a student for a particular course. Eligibility to appear at these tests should alone be determined by the results of the Public Examination. (4.06)

D. Budgeting for Education

In future, both the Central and State Governments should earmark funds separately for guidance and studies and research on examinations. (5.06)

E. Research

There should be continued study and research on examinations, both at the State and Central levels and in the boards/universities in a coordinated manner. Necessary funds. for the same should be provided on a priority basis. (5.07)

F. Novel Ideas

Novel ideas for the organisation and conduct of Public Examinations should be encouraged. (3.12, 3.13. 3.14, and 3.15)