The Sindh cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday, approved awarding grace marks to first-year students of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) who failed their annual examinations, according to a report by ARY News.
During the extended cabinet session, several key decisions were made. These included:
Granting grace marks to Class XI students under BIEK,
Banning plastic shopping bags of all types across the province,
Implementing electronic monitoring for habitual offenders through devices like anklets and bracelets,
Establishing a Centre for Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism to address the growing concerns of radicalization.
The University & Board (U&D) Department presented data showing a significant drop in the 2024 pass percentage of BIEK’s first-year results. In response, the Sindh Assembly formed a Special Committee on January 13, 2025, led by Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, to investigate the matter. A Sub-Committee chaired by Dr. Sarosh H. Lodi, Vice Chancellor of NED University, conducted an in-depth inquiry.
The Sub-Committee recommended awarding grace marks: 20% in Chemistry and 15% each in Physics and Mathematics. Acting on this, the Chief Minister approved the grace marks while also instructing reforms in the examination board’s operations to prevent future issues. Although the Sindh Boards Ordinance of 1972 does not currently permit grace marks, a similar exception was granted by the caretaker government in 2023 based on an earlier inquiry.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the functioning of educational boards, the Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to form a high-level committee of reputable officers to investigate irregularities across all boards in Sindh and submit a report.
On the environmental front, the cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to pollution control and ecological preservation. The amended Sindh Prohibition of Non-Degradable Plastic Products Rules, 2014, were approved, paving the way for a province-wide ban on the production, sale, and use of plastic bags—including both non-degradable and oxo-degradable types. The ban will take effect 60 days after the cabinet’s approval.