KARACHI, Jan 20: Thousands of candidates of BCom part-I (regular) annual examinations whose economics paper was disrupted on Jan 13 when they were forcibly ousted from their examination centres by those protesting against Karachi University admissions policy are still undecided whether to reappear in their paper rescheduled for Feb 1, or to skip it merely to get ‘average’ marks under an impression that the average marks mean passing marks.

A large number of BCom (part-I) and BA (part-I) regular male candidates who were taking their economics and geography/mass communication papers, respectively, on Jan 13 at their examination centres set up at different departments of the university were forced to flee their centres by some students protesting against the university admissions policy.

The protesting students snatched the candidates’ papers and tore up their answer scripts after entering their exam centres.

The KU authorities while rescheduling the paper for Feb 1 had announced that all the candidates of the affected centres could reappear in the paper, or those who prefer not to retake their disrupted paper would be given average marks as per university rules.

However, a large number of BCom (part-I) regular candidates called Dawn office from different parts of the city and wanted to know whether the KU decision of awarding average marks did mean that such candidates would be given passing marks.

However, when this question was put to a deputy controller of examinations of the university, he dispelled the impression that all those who would not reappear in their paper rescheduled for Feb 1 would be given ‘passing marks’ in their respective subject.

Mentioning about the word ‘average’ marks used in the KU press release issued on the day the paper was disrupted, the deputy controller of examinations, who wished not to be named, said that ‘average’ marks meant that the candidates of the affected exam centres who would opt not to reappear in their economics (part-I) paper rescheduled for Feb 1, would be awarded average marks after evaluating the marks they obtained in their other papers.

“It all depends on the marks they will be securing in their other papers once their answer scripts are assessed and hence it cannot be said
with any certainty that all such candidates will either get passing marks or will be declared failed in their economics [part-I] paper,” he added.

Admitting that in haste the KU administration in its Jan 13 press release had announced ‘average’ marks for those who would prefer not to retake their disrupted paper on its rescheduled date without elaborating what it did mean, he said that the matter concerning the average marks would be considered at a meeting of the examinations department in a couple of days and the candidates would be apprised of its decision in detail through a press notification.

Although Dawn also tried to contact the KU controller of examinations to seek his version of the university decision of awarding average marks to the students, the KU controller did not respond to repeated calls made on his cellular phone.

A spokesperson for the university, however, endorsed the clarification given by the university deputy controller of examinations vis-à-vis the ‘average’ marks.Dawn.