The Board of Secondary Education Karachi has decided in principle to abandon its planned e-marking system for this year’s matric examinations, following administrative failures and allegations of corruption under its previous management, a development that will affect nearly 175,000 matric students whose examination papers will now be checked manually instead of through the digital assessment system originally introduced for Class X mathematics and computer science papers. The decision marks a significant setback for what was intended to be a progressive step toward modernising the city’s examination infrastructure, and has instead drawn sharp attention to governance lapses within one of Sindh’s most prominent educational institutions.
The rollback follows the resignation of former board chairman Muhammad Hussain Sohu, who stepped down amid corruption allegations and an inquiry into irregularities within the board. Sources revealed that special answer sheets worth approximately Rs25 million had already been printed for the e-marking project, with each sheet costing between Rs70 and Rs80, compared to the usual Rs28 to Rs30 per copy, meaning the procurement alone represented a significant and now largely wasted financial outlay. The situation points to a broader pattern of mismanagement that had been building within the board for several months. An inquiry committee recommended not only Sohu’s suspension but also criminal proceedings through the anti-corruption department, with sources indicating he chose to resign in order to avoid suspension and protect his chances of continuing service at the Federal Board, where he was originally deputed from.
The e-marking collapse at the secondary level also mirrors a similar failure that unfolded at the intermediate level in Karachi just months earlier. The e-marking system introduced at the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi had effectively collapsed, leading to an unprecedented delay of over six months in the announcement of results for thousands of students, with nearly 140,000 examination questions left unchecked after a large number of government college teachers assigned as examiners refused to participate in the electronic assessment process, citing unclear remuneration structures and arguing that e-marking was more time-consuming than traditional manual checking. This earlier failure provided a warning signal that institutional and human readiness for digital examination systems in Karachi remained far from adequate.
The inquiry into the Board of Secondary Education Karachi also unearthed wider systemic issues. The probe committee, constituted on the directives of Sindh Boards Minister Ismail Rahu, found that the board administration had changed over 170 examination centres during the matric exams, amid widespread complaints of paper leaks, bribery, and administrative breakdowns that affected students’ ability to sit their examinations fairly. The Sindh government has since taken steps to restructure oversight of the province’s educational boards, approving an administrative arrangement that divides control of educational boards between the chief minister and the minister for universities and boards, a dual-command structure that officials described as unprecedented in the province’s examination governance history. With matric results now expected to be delayed and college admissions potentially affected, students and parents are left waiting for clarity as the board attempts to rebuild its credibility under new administrative arrangements.
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