KAMS urges K’taka govt to reduce SSLC pass percentage from current 35 to 33 to match national norms
Bengaluru: In a bid to improve student outcomes in the SSLC examination, the Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka (KAMS) has urged the state government to reduce the minimum pass percentage from the current 35% to 33%, bringing it in line with national standards.
KAMS, an association of private school managements, has submitted a series of policy-level reforms and recommendations to improve the pass percentages in the SSLC exam to Rashmi Mahesh, Principal Secretary of the Department of School Education and Literacy. The proposal follow a comparative study of the education systems in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and the Union Territory of Puducherry, as reported by The Hindu on Sunday.
The association has requested the government to form a high-level committee on SSLC exam reforms immediately. It pointed out that Karnataka’s pass criteria are stricter than in other regions. “While in Karnataka it is 35%, CBSE has it at 33%. In Kerala, it is 30% in all subjects and also in total. In Andhra Pradesh, students must score 35% in each subject except in Hindi (20%). Overall 32.5% is required,” KAMS noted.
The association also highlighted disparities in assessment models. While states such as Kerala and Telangana follow a blended approach combining internal and external assessments, Karnataka mandates a minimum of 35% solely in the final written examination, with no weight given to internal assessments. For instance, Telangana includes 20 internal marks per subject, and Kerala allots 130 marks to internal evaluations out of a total of 650. CBSE allocates 20 marks for internals and 80 for externals, requiring students to score 33% overall to pass the exams.
KAMS further recommended the introduction of a dual exam option in mathematics and science in Karnataka, similar to the CBSE system that offers students a choice between basic and standard mathematics. This, the association argues, would reduce academic burden on students, the report added.
To ensure broader reforms, KAMS also recommended aligning Karnataka’s textbooks and curriculum with those of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). In addition, improving teacher training and strengthening the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) process were among the other reforms suggested.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
