The Odisha HC on Wednesday directed Board of Secondary Education (BSE) to pay compensation of Rs 3 lakh to a student who was initially declared failed in this year’s matriculation exam and subsequently, after rechecking his answer sheets, was declared passed in first division.
As the bright student from Bhadrak district lost an academic year to pursue his higher education, the HC decided to compensate him by the BSE. Suman Panigrahy of Basudevpur Panchayat High School was appalled when he noticed that he had obtained only six marks out of 100 in the Mathematics paper while all his marks in the remaining papers were as expected. He moved the BSE for a rechecking and approached the High Court.
Accordingly, HC asked BSE to do the needful. But by the time his rectified mark-sheet came showing 89 in Mathematics, Suman was devastated as the last date for applying for higher education had already expired. Suman again approached the HC asking as to why he was put into agony and sufferings for no fault of his and sought a damage of Rs 5 lakh from the BSE.
Justice BN Mohapatra awarded a compensation of Rs 3 lakh and suggested BSE that it can collect the damage amount from the employees who were responsible for such a goof-up.