mumbai in a major relief for class ix and x students the state government has decided to defer its policy on grace marks by a year a circular issued last year made it compulsory for students of classes ix and xi to score a minimum of 25 in theory papers of mathematics and science to be eligible for grace marks however after several complaints about mass failures in various schools and colleges the government decided to defer its policy by one year most students and parents claimed that they were unaware about the circular since there were too many cases of mass failures reported this year the state government had to take a decision said sarjerao jadhav chairman of the maharashtra state board of secondary and higher secondary education the government had already deferred the policy for class xi students in may after 55 fyjc students of bhavans hazarimal somani college of arts and science failed this year after the change in policy the college promoted 46 of the students who had failed earlier students are now eligible for 30 grace marks for three subjects 10 marks in each subject the issue first came to light in may after 150 out of 289 students in class ix of antonio desouza high school flunked in mathematics and science in another instance class ix students of another south mumbai school faced a similar fate school principals said it was a fallout of the right to education rte act which makes it compulsory for students to be promoted till class viii education officials however checked the schools results