Best-5 in SC, but state notifies ICSE students

Updated on: Wednesday, December 08, 2010

The state has notified its best-5 policy for ICSE students even as the controversial formula is being heard in the Supreme Court.

In a notification dated December 2, the government has made it clear that while SSC students will use the formula to seek college admissions, their ICSE counterparts can exercise two options to calculate their final percentage.

The best-5 criterion shall be made applicable to students passing ICSE examinations, the notification stated. But the (best) five subjects shall be restricted to those from Group I and Group II (as per the ICSE curriculum ) and not Group III subjects. If the (ICSE) students want to incorporate the marks of subjects from Group III,they will have to take the average of all seven subjects instead of the best five subjects only, it added.

The new notification does not change the governments stand but underlines its determination to push through the best-five norm for students of other boards in a way that places SSC students at an advantage.

This year, during admissions, the debate had risen over the gradation for subjects under Group III of ICSE board where 50 marks each are given for external and an internal exam, as compared to 80:20 ratio for other subjects under ICSE as well as SSC boards.

Some students realized that their total with the best-5 criterion was lower than their average of all seven subjects. So,the apex court had provided the option of choosing the higher-mark option (for ICSE students). The state government is applying the same logic now, said Carl Laurie,principal of Christ Church School,Byculla.

Best-5 in SC, but state notifies ICSE students

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