Goa Board talks tough on allocation of sports merit marks

If recommendations made by the Goa board of secondary and higher secondary education to the state sports review committee are accepted, the award of sports concessions under the much-touted Goa sports policy will not come without its set of conditions.

The board has submitted its "recommendations regarding implementation of the Goa sports policy 2011-2012" to the Goa Olympic association, sports authority of Goa (SAG) and the directorate of sports affairs, and has made it clear that "the board is the final authority to allot sports merit marks for those institutions affiliated to it".

The board and the SAG were locked in an acrimonious battle during the last academic year over the final authority in allotting sports marks. The SAG's contentions were repeatedly challenged by the board and it required the intervention of chief minister Digambar Kamat to rule in favour of the SAG. However, as the sports policy review committee prepares for its first meeting next week, the log-jam is expected to continue.

The board has prepared and submitted 18 point recommendations. While many of the recommendations could find favour, there are others which may take some time to be resolved.

The most contentious point will be the addition of the sports merit marks to the aggregate as several sportspersons had complained that the basic purpose of the marks was defeated since they were being shown separately and not added to the aggregate. The board has maintained that the "marks cannot be added to the aggregate as there is no provision of indicating the aggregate under the grading scheme".

The board has also maintained that the sports merit marks "cannot be added subject-wise due to administrative difficulties". The board has also suggested that the "sports participation marks need to be lowered and the sports merit marks need to be increased so as to encourage competition, which is the basis for merit".

Devising its own scheme, the board has suggested that only five marks be allotted to participation at the taluka, district and state-level, while zonal and national participation will entail the sportsperson to 10 marks. International participation has been fixed at 20 marks from the prevailing 40.

The incentives for achievement, however, are more than usual. While the lowest merit marks is an additional two at the taluka level for bronze-medal winners - from the previous one - an international gold will fetch the student 20 merit marks. Currently, gold medalists are entitled for an additional 12 marks at the international.

The board has also suggested that a student should score a minimum of 20% in the external examination to avail of sports merit marks.

The Goa Olympic association has called for a meeting to discuss the recommendations on July 25 while the sports policy review committee will meet on July 28.

Courtesy:timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Goa-Board-talks-tough-on-allocation-of-sports-merit-marks/articleshow/9316738.cms