Improper Answers in CBSE Will be Marked: Delhi DOE in Leaked Video

In a video, Delhi’s Director of Education purportedly says he’s asked CBSE to award marks for improper answers.  

(Image altered by The Quint)

With CBSE exams just a couple of months away, multiple videos of Delhi’s Director of Education (DOE) have emerged in which the official purportedly asks students to “repeat the question in the answer section" while adding that he has asked the board to mark students for improper answers.

In one of the videos, which was reportedly shot at a Delhi government school in West Delhi, DOE Udit Prakash Rai seems to be telling students that even if the latter do not know the answer to a particular question, they must write whatever they can.

“Don’t keep any question answer blank. If you don’t know the answer, repeat the question. Write whatever you understand, else repeat the question. I have told ma’am to give marks and  have asked CBSE the same.”

Udit Rai, as heard in the purported video. 

While a Delhi government school teacher claimed that the video is from West District, it is unknown when it was recorded.

‘Write in Hindi if Can’t Spell in English’

In a second video of his interaction with teachers, DOE Rai implores teachers to ensure that they give students the right tips and ensure that “no question is left bank.” Here, too, he reiterates that students should be asked to repeat the question in the answer section so that they get “one or two marks.”

“If there is a problem in writing an answer, if they can’t write a spelling in English, let them write in Hindi. These small things have to be told so that children can get at least 40-45 marks,” he says.

However, the Delhi government has dismissed allegations of misinformation while adding that DOE Rai “was quoted out of context.” 

CBSE Distances Itself From DOE’s Comments

While in one of the videos, DOE Rai mentioned that he had asked CBSE to ensure that even wrong answers are marked, the board has distanced itself from the official’s statement.

• Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a CBSE official said that the board had not heard or entertained any such suggestion while adding that “such statements would only lower the credential of the board among students.”
• The official also said that CBSE evaluates students according to a set marking system and not as per “whims and fancies.”