Why CBSE can no longer keep board exams cheap

NEW DELHI: Central Board of Secondary Education can no longer subsidise its Class X and XII exams. This is because it has lost revenue it earned from competitive tests like JEE (Main), NEET UG and UGC-NET, which have been handed over to National Testing Agency.

CBSE says there has been a 33% increase in the honorarium paid to evaluators, 40% increase in the number of evaluators and centres, and paper and printing costs have gone up too.Still, it claims, the fee hike has been kept to maintain a ‘no profit no loss’ margin.
Yet the move to hike fees, especially for SC/ST students, after a gap of five years, has come in for strong criticism. For Class X, the Board has increased fees of SC/ST students studying in Delhi government/aided schools from Rs 375 to Rs 1,200, and for general category students from Rs 750 to Rs 1,500. For Class XII, SC/ST students will pay Rs 1,200 instead of Rs 600 earlier. Also, Class XII students in India will have to pay Rs 150 per subject for practicals instead of Rs 80 earlier.
“Of the Rs 375 for SC/ ST students earlier, the Delhi government used to subsidise Rs 325 and the students had to pay only Rs 50. CBSE had a meeting with the Delhi government officials and is optimistic that the government will continue to subsidise the fees,” said Anurag Tripathi, secretary, CBSE. For Class XII, the government used to pay Rs 550 for the SC/ ST students, while the students paid Rs 50.
Asaduddin Owaisi, president, AIMIM, tweeted, “This massive increase in exam fees is cruel & exploitative. Students’ parents will have to shell out such an unreasonable amount & will have no choice. (In)ability to pay shouldn’t be a bar on ANYONE from accessing education.” He added that CBSE and MHRD should reconsider its decision.
Around 15 students of Delhi government schools have also written to the All India Parents’ Association over the increase in registration fee: “How will we poor kids pay so much money? It is a big increase in the amount from last year. Please do something to reduce the fees.”
“This major hike in fees is unconstitutional and totally against the right to education of students. This fee hike will be challenged soon in court. The CBSE is discharging public functions and is governed by Article 14 of Constitution and therefore bound to act proactive towards educational needs of children of the masses,” said Ashok Agarwal, president, AIPA.