The new Government Order (GO) that scaled down the grace mark allotted to sportspersons for their meritorious achievements has drawn sharp criticism from all stakeholders.
The GO handed by General Education Department on April 20 vastly decreased the grace marks awarded to sportspersons for SSLC and Plus Two programs. As per new GO, a participation in a world occasion will fetch the sportsperson 30 marks whereas for the nationwide occasions, the grace mark was fastened at 25. The grace mark for particular person winners in State occasions has been fastened at 20 whereas it’s 17 marks for the runner-up and 14 marks for third place. The new GO additionally doesn’t grant any grace mark to athletes and swimmers ending between fourth and eighth positions in State-level occasions.
The current grace marks allotted to sportspersons until the new GO was 150 marks for participation in worldwide occasions and it was 60 for nationwide occasions. The corresponding grace mark for winners in State occasions was 30, 24 for runner-up, and 18 for third.
The sportspersons and their dad and mom are up in arms in opposition to the new GO, as majority of them had been awaiting the outcomes of SSLC and Plus Two programs. and really feel they had been let down by the State authorities. “Sportspersons who pursue sports significantly usually should spend a very long time away from research and college. Had the federal government handed this order at first of the tutorial yr, lots of them would have taken a break from sports to pay attention on their research. The authorities, whereas decreasing grace mark for sportspersons, has not decreased it for these participating in arts and science competitions within the State. The authorities has let down the sportspersons and sports will now not be a viable choice for many within the State. The coming years will see decreased participation and it isn’t an excellent augury for sports within the State,’’ mentioned Rakesh Shekar the secretary of Kerala State Badminton and Shuttle Association.
The Parent Teachers Association of G.V. Raja Sports School has already submitted a memorandum to the Education Minister V. Sivankutty requesting him to revoke the new GO. The sportspersons and their dad and mom together with different stakeholders will maintain a march in entrance of the Secretariat on Wednesday to protest in opposition to the choice.
