The state joint entrance examination (JEE) board stands at risk of being sued by students.

Several examinees who had written JEE 2006 are planning to move Calcutta High Court, accusing the board of setting “wrong and ambiguous” questions in all four subjects — biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics.

They are demanding “rectification of their results” and award of fresh ranks.

“There were plenty of wrong and ambiguous questions in all the subjects. We demand re-examination of the answer scripts. My clients should be awarded fresh ranks,” said Md Alauddin Mondal, representing two aggrieved examinees. He said his clients had written to the board on September 6, but received no response.

Abdur Rauf, a board official, however, said no such complaints have been received.

The main grievance of the examinees is that the English and Bengali versions of several questions were “grossly different”. Citing an example, Mondal said the English version of Question IV in the physics paper read: “The volume of a given mass of water at 0 degree centigrade is V1 . It is heated to 4 degree centigrade when its volume is V2 Which of the following statements is true...” In the Bengali version, he alleged, the word ‘jal’ for ‘water’ was missing. “This created confusion among students.”

Similarly, the English version of a biology question read: “Which is the character of isometric contraction...” In the Bengali version, the word ‘sankochan’ for ‘contraction’ was missing.

“There are nearly 30 such mistakes and ambiguities in the mathematics and biology papers each and more than half a dozen in physics and chemistry papers each,” Mondol claimed.

As for their second grievance, the students said the board had announced while distributing the examination forms that it would deduct one mark for every three wrong answers.

But instructions on the question papers stated that one-third marks would be deducted for every wrong answer, or two marks for three wrong answers (each question carried two marks).

The controversy over “wrong and ambiguous” questions comes at a time when the board is contemplating changes in its question pattern.

A meeting between the board authorities and state higher education minister Sudarshan Raychowdhuri is slated before October 15 to finalise the decision.