When the Uttar Pradesh Government decided to cut through the red-tape and cash scholarships directly into a students’ account — this was not a situation they had envisaged. Nearly a hundred schools in the state have registered a “zero percentage pass” in the Class XII board exams.

Harish Chandra Inter College, Lucknow, is just one of them. Currently, the school’s status is this:

• Government grant: around Rs 72 lakh per annum

• Scholarship: around Rs 1.8 lakh per annum

• Teachers: 30

• Classrooms: over 32 with separate games and music room

• Students: 194 (total), 18 in High School; High School result: Pass percentage zero

Such results — despite the huge grants — have forced the Uttar Pradesh Government to sit up. A state-wide list of such schools are being prepared and they will be asked to give an explanation. “The list will be ready by next week,” said Prabha Tripathi, Secretary, UP Secondary Education Board. Arun Kumar Mishra, Principal Secretary, Secondary Education said: “Action will be taken against all such schools after going through the replies they send.”

As for the schools, the management of the Harish Chandra Inter College feels that uninterrupted salary to teachers and scholarship to students — without any check on either — is to be blamed. “The problem is evident,” said Ram Gopal Dixit, a member of the management of Harish Chandra Inter College. Students are not interested in attending classes once they receive their scholarship.

... contd.