By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata/Malda: Alim and Fazil examination 2014 of the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education began on February 10 and will last till February 24, 2014.
President of the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education Razle Rabbi informed that in 143 centres throughout the state exams are being conducted and total numbers of the 54,858 examinees are taking the examinations.
Fazle Rabbi told TCN that, this year in the High Madrasa examinations large number of the candidates are girl students. The total numbers of candidates in High Madrasa is 44,333, of which are 30,339 while only 13,914 are boys.
In Alim Examination total number of candidates are 6752, of which 3315 are girls and 3437 are boys. In Fazil Examinations, on the other hand, of the total 3773 candidates, girls are 1159 and rest 2614 are boys.
The number of Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe students have also increased this year. In 2013 SC and ST candidates of High Madrasa Examination was only 918 and 307, respectively but this year their numbers are 1103 and 414.
President of the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education Razle Rabbi further told TCN that that State Government plans to make 40 Model Madrasa in the state. So considerable investments have been made to improve the infrastructure and quality in these madrassas.
State government’s `Kanyashri’ Scheme to girl students in the form of Rs 25000 one time scholarship too has attracted considerable number of girls.
Malda dsitrict’s Chandua Hamaipur High Madrasa set another example this year, where five young women, who have recently become mothers were allowed to sit for examinations with their babies. These women are Juliara Khatun, Sumaya Khatun, Haoa Khatun, Asia Khatun and Mehbuba Khatun.
The In charge of this examination center Biswajit Das told TCN, “We made arrangement for these women to sit on floor, so that their infants could also be with them.”
Juliara Khatun gave birth to a girl child on February 8, barely few days before the examination.
Sumaiya Khatun from village Chapra too gave birth only few days ago. Similarly Haoa Khatun of Raghunathganj, Asia Khatun and Mehbuba Khatun of Jalalpur too came with their young infants to the examination centre.