The Maharashtra state board (SSC) today sought to explain in Supreme Court how boards differ in their scoring patterns. A bench headed by Justice Altmas Kabir went through marksheets of all three boards. The state boards contention is that ICSE and CBSE students have better scoring opportunities,and that the best-5 policy the government had adopted for SSC students was,therefore,justified. Under the system,only the top five subject-wise scores (out of six) would count in any SSC students total. Counsel for the SSC board Harish Salve submitted that the policy was broadly known to the public,though some errors had crept into the government resolution. The Bombay High Court had struck down the policy on the ground that it violated Article 14 of the Constitution,dealing with the right to equal opportunity. The Supreme Court asked Salve for his arguments on this count. The hearing will continue on Tuesday. The government in its special leave petition has said students had prepared in a manner to suit the amended marking system,and striking down of the policy would be unfair. Special counsel P P Rao and state counsel Nitin Deshpande had sought an interim stay as the admission had been stalled till July 10,but the Supreme Court declined to grant a stay last week on the HC order.
