Grace marks awarded for various co-curricular activities will be limited to 30 marks for students who have appeared for the SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate), Higher Secondary and VHSE (Vocational Higher Secondary Education) exams in the 2022-23 academic year. The order restricting the grace marks was issued by the general education department on Thursday following complaints that high-performing students were being overtaken by students who received high grace marks, as stated in the report by The New Indian Express.
According to the order, a student who has participated in more than one co-curricular event can claim grace marks only for the event in which he or she has scored maximum marks. The order also states that a student who has been awarded grace marks will not be entitled to bonus marks, awarded on account of it, during further stages of admission.
For higher secondary students, the maximum grace marks that can be awarded for a subject will be limited to raising the score of that subject to 90%. This condition was placed in the higher secondary exam manual released earlier this year.
What is the marking scheme?
The order further stated that for events such as State School Arts Festival; Science, Mathematics, Social Science, work experience, and IT competitions; state-level science seminars; CV Raman essay contest; Sreenivasa Ramanujan memorial paper presentation and so on students who score A, B and C grades will be awarded 20, 15 and 10 marks, respectively. In events where the first three positions are decided, instead of grades, 20, 17, and 14 marks will be awarded, respectively.
Students participating in the Student Police Cadet project and Junior Red Cross will be awarded 20 marks and 10 marks, respectively. In Scouts and Guides, 25 marks will be awarded for Rashtrapati award winners, 20 marks for Rajya Puraskar/Chief Minister’s Shield, and 18 marks for those with over 80% attendance.
NSS volunteers who have taken part in the national camp and Republic Day camp will get 25 marks. Volunteers with an NSS (National Service Scheme) certificate will be given 20 marks. NCC (National Cadet Corps) cadets will be awarded 25 marks if they earn the rank of Corporal or above or obtain A, B or C certificate or participate in national camps. NCC cadets with 75% attendance will be awarded 20 marks.
Students who bag the first three positions in the National Children’s Science Congress, Southern India Science Fair and State Children’s Science Congress will be awarded 25, 22 and 15 marks, respectively. The marks awarded for other events are: Little KITEs (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education) IT clubs (15), Jawaharlal Nehru National Exhibition (25), and A and B grades at Sargotsavam (15 and 10 marks, respectively).
Balashree Award winners will get 15 marks and those who clinch the first and second spots in KELSA (Kerala State Legal Services Authority) quizzes will get five and three marks, respectively.
Any grace marks for sports?
For sports, participation in international events will fetch a student grace mark of 30. Medal winners at national sports meet will be awarded 25 marks. First, second and third prize winners in sporting events at the state level will be awarded 20, 17 and 14 marks, respectively.
Seven marks will be awarded to students bagging up to fourth place in athletics or aquatics or games events conducted by the general education department or associations recognised by the State Sports Council or sports department. Students applying for grace marks using certificates in Class VIII, should produce participation certificates for at least district-level events in Classes IX and X, the order says.
