Chandigarh, Feb. 18 -- Class 10 board examinations began on Tuesday with an uneasy start as the Mathematics Basic paper surprised students and teachers with its level of difficulty. Intended as the less rigorous alternative to Mathematics Standard, the Basic paper was described as "tricky," lengthy, and heavily application-based, raising concerns in several schools about its potential impact on results. The dual-level Mathematics scheme was introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in 2019 to reduce academic stress and offer flexibility. Mathematics Standard is meant for students who plan to pursue the subject in Classes 11 and 12, while Mathematics Basic is designed for those who do not intend to continue. Although the syllabus for both papers remains the same, the Standard paper is expected to be of a higher difficulty level. On Tuesday, several teachers said the gap between the two appeared narrower than intended. Raminder Singh, a Mathematics teacher at Government Model High School, Sector 38D, said, "the Standard paper was largely direct. But in Basic, the questions were complicated and required deeper understanding." Anjana Sharma, a Mathematics teacher at PM Shri GMSSS, Dhanas, said the Standard paper was "comparatively easier". "In the Basic paper, about 30% of the questions were easy, but the rest were tricky. The questions were from NCERT but situation-based, requiring analysis and application, which students were not fully prepared for," she said. Students who opted for Mathematics Standard described their paper as relatively easy. Yukti Goyal, a Class 10 student of Doon International School, New Chandigarh, said it was "easier compared to last year." In contrast, students who chose Mathematics Basic reported a tougher experience. A student from DAV Public School, Sector 8C, said the paper felt difficult "compared to previous years and the usual level of Basic." "We didn't expect such complicated questions. Since more students opt for Basic, my overall result might drop, so I'll take another chance in May," the student said. Teachers expressed concern that a large number of students usually choose Basic, which could impact overall performance trends if scores are impacted. Arvind Rana, a member of the Chandigarh Teachers' Association, called for action. "An enquiry and strict action must be taken against the teacher who prepared this paper. Soon, teachers and students may launch a mass campaign to write to CBSE against this irrational Maths Basic paper," he said....