Students slam new grading system, petition against Rs 200 fee to access answer sheets
Angry students have signed an anonymous online petition that is being circulated among current batches and alumni. Representation pic/istock
Beginning with the odd semester of 2025-26, which commenced in June, Fort’s St Xavier’s College has shifted to an all-online grading system. But while the move was meant to bring transparency and fairness, it has left students unhappy. Under the new system, they cannot view their corrected answer sheets unless they pay Rs 200 per subject. The system applies to ‘sit-down’ exams, not essays or presentations.
Angry over the decision, students have signed an anonymous online petition that is being circulated among current batches and alumni. The petition argues that scanned answer sheets were uploaded on a digital portal in randomised order and graded online, leaving no space for professors to write feedback or comments. Once the evaluation is complete, only marks are displayed on the SXC Qualcampus portal, with no explanation of errors. To view their answer papers, students must pay a fee.
Under the new system, students cannot view their corrected answer sheets unless they pay '200 per subject. Representation pic/istock
According to sources, the change was introduced to reduce bias during evaluation, as teachers now grade papers without knowing whose they are. But students say the system denies them the chance to understand their mistakes or clarify doubts directly with professors. “Earlier, we would get our papers back for a few minutes and could see exactly where we lost marks. Now, the portal only shows the marks per question, with no clarity. It’s nearly impossible to figure out what went wrong, which affects our ability to improve,” a third-year student told mid-day.
In this semester, students have attempted their Continuous Internal Assessment (CIA) 1, held towards the end of July, which is usually scored out of 20. Those who submitted essays or presentations say they did not face such problems. CIA 2 concluded last week. But all eyes are now on the upcoming mid-semester exams in October, evaluated out of 60.
When contacted, a senior official from St Xavier’s said, “No students have officially approached the principal with complaints. However, the CIA 2 papers that are being evaluated at the moment will be shown to the students. We are trying to figure out the best approach to unbiased assessments, and the college will take student welfare into account to make improvements.”
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