Over Kokborok script, tribal students meet education board Chief

Agartala: A delegation of SFI-affiliated Tribal Students Union on Thursday interacted with the newly elected president of Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) Dr. Dhananjoy Gan Chowdhury.
The purpose of the meeting was to seek clarification on the ongoing debate on the use of Kokborok script in board examinations. The student leaders highlighted the current confusion and urged the examination-conducting body to address the concerns of students who want to write their answer sheets in Roman script.
A representative of TSU while talking to the media referred to a media report which highlighted Dr Chowdhury’s statement that Bengali script would be made compulsory in board examinations.
The TSU leader expressed concern over the sudden change from allowing students to use their preferred script in previous years to the recent compulsion to use the Bengali script.
The TSU has called for the restoration of the previous exam format, saying the recent change is unfair.

Deputy Secretary of TBSE, Subhasish Choudhury, responded to the allegations, refuting claims that the board had issued new orders mandating a specific script for answer papers. Chowdhury clarified that historically, Kokborok has been taught in schools using a specific script, and this has been the script used in exams.

He asserted that no recent directives have been issued regarding script choices for answer papers.

Sources within TBSE mentioned that while no written orders have been issued, there is a consensus among board members and teachers to implement a single-script system for answer sheets. With the board exams just a month away, students preparing for the papers are still grappling with uncertainty over the script they can use.

This development has stirred a broader debate on the language policy for board exams, and the TBSE is expected to address the concerns raised by the Tribal Students Union to ensure a smooth and fair examination process.O