Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has asked the Centre to rethink on the issue of implementing the grading system, as it was resulting in “deterioration in the standard of education”.

In a press communiqué, two times Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh raised concern over the grading system as he believes that it was putting an end to competitiveness among students and can make them casual and non-serious towards studies. Dhumal believes that the earlier system of marks was far better and helps students to prepare for the board or any other competitive examinations.

He said the UPA regime had ushered in the grading system in haste without going into the pros and cons of the issue, but Himachal had expressed its reservations. He claimed that the biggest drawback of the grading system is that there is no means to assess the caliber of students and the performance of teachers.