KARACHI, Nov 7: The Board of Intermediate Education, on Friday, released the lists of failure candidates of HSC annual exams 2003 of all groups, who have now been declared pass with one per cent grace marks.

According to BIE notification, a total of 9,759 candidates have been benefited with the restoration of BIE’s rule pertaining to grace marks, which was abrogated in 1998.

Under an approval given by the governor, who is also the controlling authority of the educational boards in Sindh, failure candidates of 2003 annual exams have been granted one per cent grace marks enabling them to pass their exams.

Those declared pass with grace marks included one A grader; 97 B graders; 1,913 C graders; 6,347 D graders; and 1,401 E graders. Out of these 9,759 students, 3,650 were of humanities group; followed by 2,669 of commerce; 1,962 of pre-engineering; 1,130 of pre-medical group, 290 of science general, 54 of home economics and four of physical education.

The fresh mark sheets would be issued to candidates within a week, provided they surrender their previous mark sheets at the board’s office.

A BIE official said that under the revised policy, failures who needed a maximum of 11 marks had been accommodated and awarded grace marks. He further said that the rule in question had been reinforced, as it existed in the year 1998, under which candidates having failed in a maximum of two papers were awarded grace marks.

In addition to the 2003 exam failures, the BIE received about 5,000 applications from candidates, who took exams between 1999 and 2002, for obtaining grace marks up to two per cent (i.e. 22 marks) with retrospective effect. Candidates have applied in response to the grace marks offer made by the government in July this year.