Why it’s confusing?

The recent results of the 10th and 12th classes declared by JKBOSE have raised some questions. How did a student score one hundred percent marks?

It is often said that marks do not determine one’s intelligence. However, in present times, what do we actually focus on? Marks, not education. In this race, we produce doctors and engineers but lose something bigger.

Going back a few decades, students hardly passed 10th and 12th class examinations, and scoring cent percent marks was just not possible. Was that the system discouraged students, or did it push them to work harder and give their best? Is it that earlier evaluators were strict, while today it is not so? Since no one can be perfect, the idea of students scoring full marks, especially in language subjects, continues to raise confusion and debate.

Now the debate over loose evaluation and strict evaluation is becoming prominent. It may be a policy matter, but we have to examine whether lenient marking boosts students’ confidence and reduces examination stress, or whether strict marking pushes students to work harder and become more disciplined.

The latest pattern of evaluation also raises concerns about reputation and credibility,  of the entire system also. The challenge lies in finding a balance that rewards genuine understanding without inflating performance beyond realistic limits.

What we need from education is not merely a professional degree, but a good human being, someone who can differentiate between right and wrong and act with empathy and responsibility. Loose marking may give a temporary sense of joy, but it does not necessarily produce a long term value. The fundamental aim of education should be to create professionals who are skilled as well as humane. Policy-makers must therefore reflect on whether current evaluation practices are nurturing values or simply generating scores.

In JKBOSE, education turning into a race now, the essence of real learning is lost. Such concern was portrayed in the film 3 idiots where Aamir Khan’s character reminds us that education is about excellence, not competition. The film repeatedly emphasizes that learning should bring joy, curiosity, and purpose, not fear and comparison. One of its central messages is that success should follow passion and understanding, not blind pressure to outperform others. This idea resonates deeply in today’s context, where marks have become more important than meaning.

So, it is important to think over loose and accurate evaluation, because evaluation has its own impact on students. Fair and transparent evaluation can encourage discipline and effort, while excessive leniency risks diluting the credibility of the system. As shown in 3 Idiots, students crushed under unrealistic expectations lose creativity, confidence, and sometimes even their sense of self. Education should inspire innovation and independent thinking, not anxiety and conformity. A system obsessed with perfect scores forgets that mistakes are part of learning and growth.

We must separate business from real education. Being a doctor or an engineer is not a business; it is a service to society. Education is a life-shaping process. It teaches values; lessons that no marks sheet can fully capture. As 3 Idiots subtly reminds us, “run after excellence, and success will follow.” Our education policies must therefore strike a balance: producing capable professionals  while also nurturing thoughtful, ethical, and humane citizens.