Shishu Sarothi, a city-based voluntary organization working for the empowerment of the disabled in the region, has blamed invigilators for the poor performance of five visually impaired students, who had appeared for the High School Leaving CertificateExamination in February this year, the results of which were declared last month.

Shishu Sarothi maintains that the five students were denied the mandatory extra time of 20 minutes per hour, as has been prescribed by the central government for the challenged. Had the students been granted the extra 20 minutes per hour, they would have had an hour extra for a three-hour examination. However, three students managed to secure first division, while two bagged second division. The students were from the Jorhat Blind School and Moran Blind School.

The students were told by officials at the exam centre that only 20 minutes would be allotted as per the 'notification' received by them.

Shishu Sarothi pointed out further that besides the non allotment of the extra 20 minutes per hour, the students were allotted scribes from standard VIII, who were not aware of many of the terminologies, signs, symbols and formula that are generally used in science and mathematics in standard X. Usually, students from standard IX and X are allotted to disabled candidates.

The visually impaired students had to skip many key questions which carried high marks. "Those students who could overcome the challenges, managed to come out with flying colours. More students would have been able to achieve high ranks had their entitlements been given," said Saswati Saikia, project officer, disability law unit, Shishu Sarothi.