Use of unfair means unabated in Bhojpur

ARA: Bhojpur DM Pankaj Kumar Pal’s claims of holding fair and peaceful matriculation examination in Bhojpur district notwithstanding, use of unfair means by the examinees continue at different centres in the district allegedly in connivance with the centre superintendents, magistrates, invigilators andeven police personnel on examination duty. Even strict warning of the chief minister has no impact as far as Bhojpur is concerned.
Promulgation of prohibitory order in a radius of 500 meter of each examination centre is also no deterrent for the recalcitrant guardians. The DM said altogether 103 guardians and 56 examinees have been arrested for helping their wards in using unfair means in the examination and about Rs 3 lakh have been realized from them as fine.
On the fifth day of the examination on Saturday, Bhojpur police used force and resorted to lathicharge on the guardians at Mahila College and Jain College examination centres in which at least a dozen persons were injured. In protest, hundreds of guardians took out ‘arthi julus’ ( funeral procession) of the district administration.
The DM has ordered for holding fair examination and deputed magistrates and police force at all the 37 examination centres in Bhojpur district and also ordered not to depute any non-teaching and casual staff as the invigilators. Yet the examinees were allowed to take chits and even books inside the examination halls.
Guardians can be seen in a large number at the gate of examination centres, particularly where the girl examinees are taking examination and police remain a silent spectators.
Though the administration has installed CCTVs cameras at every centres for the videography of the examination, it also does not have any impact and use of unfair means is going on. Whenever a flying squad team or a magistrate visits an examination centre, the students are alerted by the centre superintendents and the invigilators. As the officials return, use of unfair means resumes.
Three to four students are allowed to sit on a single bench making a mockery of the examination and the invigilators were found talking to their colleagues outside the examination halls and enter the examination halls only when a magistrate or other officials visit the centres to distribute or collect the answer books.
Ara SDO Anil Kumar said the government should change the examination pattern for the benefit of the students.