``From the data available till last year, a clear trend pattern can be identified. There is almost a two per cent annual decline in the number of students passing the CBSE Board Mathematics exams,'' says S N Chibber, member of the CBSE's expert panel.

Further, for more than five years now, there have been complaints pouring in from students in Delhi about how the paper was ``too tough'' or ``out of course''. This is despite the fact that the issue of student dissatisfaction over the papers came up in the High Court in 1994. Not only was this trend identified as a problem by the Court, CBSE was also given guidelines to try and rectify it. Four years later, the problem persists. Astandard routine is followed after most such exams. Newspaper offices receive a number of complaints from anxious parents about how the ``CBSE is playing with their children's future by subjecting them to such tough papers''. The CBSE counters by stating that ``the problem is only in Delhi''. If the protests are loud enough, CBSE promises ``considerate marking''.

The issue came up in the High Court when there was a widespread protest against the Class XII Mathematics paper in 1994. The court decided to look into an ``academic matter'' only because ``the fate of several lakh students is at stake''. The court said: ``For the last three years consecutively, the CBSE had to give some kind of compensation after the examinations were held. This has seriously affected the credibility of the examination system.''

The reaction of the Board to this year's protest over a ``very difficult'' Class X Mathematics paper is not yet known. ``The marking scheme is decided on the basis of the reports from our various centresin all regions. During correction, the interests of a student are always taken into consideration. Moreover, we reiterate that this year's paper was in accordance with the Board rules,'' clarifies Dr K D Sharma, Controller of Examinations.

However, the ruling of Justice Saharia and Dalbir Bhandari was not regarding the pattern as much as it was regarding the annual complaints. The judgement said: ``We are of the opinion that the examination system must be structured in a manner where, because of initial careful scrutiny, the discontentment and dissatisfaction among the students can be avoided.'' It further said: ``When obvious lacunas, discrepancies and lapses were pointed out in the bye-laws and instructions, the Additional Solicitor General appearing for the CBSE gave an undertaking to amend and revise the bye-laws and instructions... The necessary amendments and changes be carried out in the existing bye-laws and instructions given to all concerned at the earliest and in any event within four months fromtoday. We are laying down the time limit so that a similar problem may not arise in the future.''

The issue generally blows over every year. But what most people forget is that a whole new batch of students refer to these very ``problem papers'' to prepare for their upcoming Board exams.