Aurangabad, Feb 17
Providing relief to SSC students, the Directorate of Art (DoA) cancelled the online elementary drawing examination to be held on February 22 and 23 for SSC students. The State Government had announced to conduct the drawing examination online with the rise in Covid third wave.
The DoA announced the schedule of the examinations. The registration fee was doubled this year and submission of a domicile certificate was also made compulsory for it. The students and their parents were worried about it.
The decision to cancel the online examination was taken today. State president of Maharashtra Rajya Kala Shikshak Sangh Vinod Ingole, its general secretary Prahlad Salunke, vice-president Prahlad Shinde and others welcomed the decision.
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70K aspirants; 70 pc have no phone
There are 70,000 candidates for the test every year. The students were asked to take the three hours examination on the mobile phone by keeping the camera open at home. Students get marks on the basis of the grade they obtain on the test.
Nearly 70 per cent of students have no android phone in the State and candidates from rural and tribal areas may have been deprived of examination.
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Art teachers union raises voice
Maharashtra Rajya Kala Shikshak Mahasangh raised the voice against the possible technical problems and loss of students through different memoranda. Even the director of DoA was unable to answer the questions raised by the teachers. A delegation of the teachers union met Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant and requested to cancel the online examination.
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Offline exam likely to be conducted in April
The minister directed the DoA to cancel the online examination. Since the SSC examinations are next month, the drawing examination cannot be held in such a situation. Now, the offline drawing examination is likely to be conducted in April after the 10th standard examinations are over. The increased fee of students is also likely to be refunded.