Following criticism and a directive from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka School Education and Literacy Department has decided to discontinue awarding grace marks for SSLC (Class X) exams starting from the 2024-25 academic year.
School Education and Literacy Minister Madhu Bangarappa confirmed the decision on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah had earlier instructed the department to stop awarding grace marks, stating that they undermine the quality of education and weaken students' competitive spirit.
The controversy began when the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board raised grace marks from 10 per cent to 20 per cent across all subjects after this year's SSLC exams saw a poor pass rate of just 54 per cent.