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].
The number of students scoring 95% and above in XII class board exams has more than doubled. Which of the following statements serves as a plausible explanation for the same?
Correct Answer :
All of the above.
Solution :
Correct Answer: All of the above.
Explanation:
The passage explicitly mentions that the soaring CBSE Class XII pass results (88.8%) and the doubling of students scoring 95% and above are likely due to an assessment scheme relaxed to compensate students for disruptions originating in the pandemic, rather than solely reflecting students becoming more skilled and competitive.
When analyzing the factors that lead to such a massive rise in top scores (95% and above), multiple plausible explanations work together:
1. Increased Sincerity and Effort: Students adapting to new learning environments and studying with dedicated focus.
2. Liberal Evaluation: Relaxed marking schemes or lenient assessment criteria adopted during board evaluation.
3. Easier Question Papers: Question papers designed to be more accessible to reduce student stress during uncertain times.
Since each of these points represents a reasonable and plausible contributing reason for the spike in high percentages, the option "All of the above." is the correct choice.
Access expert-curated educational resources and study materials—completely free.
Create, conduct, and manage professional online assessments with Mindyard. Perfect for teachers and institutes.
Copyright © 2026 Mindyard. All Rights Reserved.
