(This story originally appeared in on Sep 26, 2016)

AHMEDABAD: Mistakes made while checking Board exams papers may prove costly, quite literally, for teachers. Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board has issued notice against 1,100 teachers for allegedly making mistakes while correcting papers of Class 10 and class 12, both general and science streams. Most of the mistakes have been made in totalling the marks. The Board plans to fine them Rs 100 for each difference of 1mark. "We found 1,100 teachers to have made mistakes in totalling marks following this year's Board exams.They calculated marks wrongly -- committing basic mistakes of addition. We have issued notices to them and have called them for hearing. We have also initiated the process of imposing fines on them. If a teacher has made an error and is off in calculation by 5 marks, s/ he will be fined Rs 500," said a GSHSEB official. Errors were thrown up by the computer when data of results was entered to prepare marksheets. He said, "Around 32 lakh answer sheets had to be checked. Some 5,000 teachers were roped in for the exercise. They were paid Rs 6 for each answer sheet.While 56 per cent students had cleared the exam, roughly 20 per cent teachers have failed basic math while assessing the papers. "These marksheets are checked by teachers in 20 to 25 days. Then, it checked for mistakes in totalling marks. The marksheets and results are then tallied again to eliminate typographical errors. In all, it takes some 40 to 45 days to complete the entire process." It has been found that some 20 to 25 per cent of teachers commit errors in addition. "This wastes precious time, manpower, money and puts the future of students at stake. In today's competitive times, a change of one or two marks can alter the career or destiny of a student," said the official.REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF ERRORSWhere Class 10 is concerned, 542 teachers were issued notice in 2014. The number came down to 375 in 2015 and it has further come down to 285 in 2016. Officials added that it is heartening that number of teachers making errors in class 10 have come down. "However, ideally, they should be making no errors at all," they added. The errors in this year's papers had come to the notice of Anandiben Patel when she was the chief minister. The then CM asked board officials to take strict action against such teachers. GSHSEB Chairperson A J Shah said, "We have taken this issue very seriously. Small errors by teachers can cause irreparable damage to students' future. We will take strict action against the erring teachers as per rules."