Mysore/Mysuru: Wondering how the State recorded a very high pass percentage of 94.1 in recent SSLC exams, which is a whopping 30 percent jump from the previous year, MLC A.H. Vishwanath attributed the high pass percentage to copying and other exam malpractices.

Addressing a press meet at Patrakarthara Bhavan here this morning, Vishwanath, who is himself a former Education Minister, expressed  concerns over declining standards of education in our State. “I was totally surprised by the high pass percentage in SSLC this year. The students have been given 20 out of 20 marks blindly in internal tests, giving a go by to correct evaluation of answer scripts.  The Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa is out to sabotage the quality of education in our State. It is totally wrong on the part of the Minister to have reportedly visited the SSLC evaluation camps after the exams concluded”, he maintained.

Wondering how the State can record such a high pass percentage when several Northern Karnataka districts are facing acute teacher shortage of over 40 percent, Vishwanath wanted to know how the State arrived at this result, when most Government schools lacked teachers and other facilities.

 Expressing disappointment over a good number of students failing in our mother tongue Kannada language, the MLC asked the Education Minister what he was doing to address this serious matter. Alleging rampant corruption in the Education department, Vishwanath lambasted the claims of the Minister and other elected representatives of the ruling party over academic progress in the State. He also questioned how the Education Department can announce the results just two days after the HC asked the State Government to give marks to Third language paper instead of grading system. Vishwanath also asked Minister Madhu Bangarappa to drop the name of his father, former Chief Minister late  S. Bangarappa, who was a real champion of Backward Castes, from his name, as he (Madhu) is in no way comparable to him.

Accusing CM  Siddaramaiah of pushing the State to whirlpool of debts through excessive borrowings, Vishwanath termed the formula on internal reservation quota rolled out by the State Cabinet yesterday as an injustice to SC communities. He also questioned the functioning of Health Department, when most of Government Hospitals lack  Medicines and other treatment materials such as Band Aid and Tincture. 

Local leader Basavegowda was present at the press meet.