Don‘t miss the cloud behind the silver lining. The Class XII CBSE pass result has soared to an all-time high of 88.8%. The number of students scoring 95% and above has more than doubled. If only these higher marks were a reflection of students getting more skilled and more competitive. Instead, the odds are they simply mirror an assessment scheme relaxed to compensate students for the many disruptions originating in the pandemic. The goal of reducing student stress levels during this turbulent time is excellent and laudable. But it is a fallacy that high marks can accomplish this by themselves. The real stressor, after all, is shortage of opportunities. When every bout of grade inflation raises cut-offs for higher education even higher, it is no succour. That India‘s Gross Enrolment Ratio is only 27% compared to Indonesia‘s 36%, Thailand‘s 49% and the US‘s 88% is just one measure of the toll taken by our failure to build adequate colleges and universities. Licence raj continues to suppress autonomy and expansion in this sector. For example, a new national education policy is reportedly mulling at least 20% of students being able to attend private higher educational institutions through freeships and another 30% through scholarships, besides fee caps. On top of the stasis already wreaked by reservations, this would be disastrous. Browbeating the private sector to make up for public sector deficiencies is counterproductive. As the pandemic has underlined the key role of good government services in healthcare, so too is raising the standard of publicly funded schools and universities essential. What the students need is an ecosystem where government institutions deliver quality education and private options are plentiful. It is better prospects alone that will best alleviate students‘ stress. Meanwhile, crudely chopping syllabi will only worsen their disorientation and should be reconsidered.
[TOI Edit, Times of India Editorials, Dated July 15, 2020].
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage above?
Correct Answer :
High Cut-off of marks also contribute in reducing opportunities for the students.
Solution :
Correct Answer: High Cut-off of marks also contribute in reducing opportunities for the students.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
1. Understanding the Main Theme of the Passage:
The passage addresses the soaring pass percentage and high scores in Class XII CBSE results, attributing them to a relaxed assessment scheme due to the pandemic rather than an actual increase in student skill or competitiveness. It points out that high marks alone do not reduce student stress because the primary stressor is the severe shortage of higher education opportunities in India.
2. Connecting Grade Inflation to Reduced Opportunities:
The passage explicitly states: "When every bout of grade inflation raises cut-offs for higher education even higher, it is no succour."
This implies that when marks are artificially inflated, cut-offs for college admissions rise proportionally higher, making access to limited university seats even more competitive and difficult. Consequently, high cut-offs exacerbate the problem of limited opportunities for students.
3. Elimination of Other Options:
• "Scoring High marks in XII class can help in reducing stress amongst students in the times of Pandemic." — Incorrect. The passage explicitly calls this a "fallacy" and states that high marks alone cannot accomplish stress reduction.
• "Private institutions should not be regulated." — Incorrect. While the passage argues against overly restrictive regulations like price caps and compulsory freeships, it does not suggest eliminating all regulation.
• "License Raj should be done away with." — Incorrect as a general broad statement; the passage refers specifically to its impact on suppressing autonomy and expansion in the higher education sector, but the primary inference regarding student impact centers on grade inflation, high cut-offs, and opportunity shortage.
Hence, the logically valid inference strictly supported by the text is that High Cut-off of marks also contribute in reducing opportunities for the students.
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