Elderly Citizens Face Documentation Crisis Amid SIR Implementation
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) is experiencing an unprecedented surge in applications for correction and duplicate certificates as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process creates documentation challenges for elderly residents. The WBBSE Park Street office has become a hub of activity with senior citizens queuing up to obtain decades-old educational documents required for the SIR verification.
Personal Stories Highlight Documentation Struggles
Barun Bihari Goswami, a 73-year-old resident from Dhakuria, recently visited the Park Street office accompanied by his daughter to obtain his 1970 Madhyamik admit card. His daughter Tripti Goswami explained the ordeal they faced last month: "My father has all recent documents, but he lost his past documents like age proof certificates when our ancestral house was sold while he was out of town. He never felt the need for duplicate documents until the SIR process began."
The Goswami family made multiple trips between their Khardah school and the Park Street office before finally securing the required admit card on Friday. Their experience mirrors that of numerous other elderly citizens struggling to meet SIR documentation requirements.
Board Officials Respond to Increased Demand
Two friends from the 1974 batch were spotted at the enquiry section, with one expressing frustration: "This has become ridiculous. All my old documents got misplaced when I shifted to my new house. I applied for duplicate marksheet and certificate, and I have been asked to wait for 15 days."
Bimal Hazra, a 70-year-old resident, accompanied his wife to obtain her duplicate documents since she lacks a birth certificate but appeared for Madhyamik in 1975. Another woman from Bansdroni who passed her Madhyamik in 1977 also joined the queue for essential documentation.
Subrata Ghosh, secretary of WBBSE, addressed the situation: "We have records of all candidates since the board was formed and started conducting exams. Our officers are well-equipped to verify documents and provide them to those who need them. The number of applications surged ahead of the SIR rollout, but now it's under control."
Board officials confirmed that while applications peaked before the SIR process implementation, the numbers have now stabilized to approximately 10-20 cases daily at the records section. The board has been handling applications from different age groups and corrections for minor errors on an emergency basis to accommodate the sudden demand.
