Board & schools ask examinees not to panic, Nami Mumbai girl who killed self had been issued hall ticket

Mumbai/Navi Mumbai: Shocked by a Class XII student preparing for her HSC exams committing suicide in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai, because she presumed she would not get her hall ticket has prompted schools and state board authorities to reach out to students assuring them that they must not panic before the examination. Police said she had been issued the card, but had feared the worst. Board officials advised that if any student fails to get hall ticket, s/he must contact the school or college. “Schools sometimes hold back hall tickets if there are any pending dues or projects that are yet to be submitted, but they are bound to give them to students before the exam begins,” said S Chandekar, secretary, Mumbai division, Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). The board has already issued hall tickets to junior colleges and students can collect them from their respective institutes.
Principals said students must be responsible and communicate with authorities. “No school wants to fail or hold back a child but students must also submit projects, attend classes and appear for internal exams,” said Prashant Redij, principal, Hilda Castelino School, Kandivli.
Mental health experts suggest schools must be sensitive. “The threats might not seem major but they could be a trigger (for an extreme action) for students who are fragile or vulnerable,” said senior psychiatrist Harish Shetty.
Most teachers said students, if they face any issue with admit cards, must discuss it with parents and bring it up with their schools/colleges, and if needed with the board itself. The consensus was that very rarely are students barred from taking their board exam.
On Thursday, 17-year-old Leenata Bharat Mankame, a resident of Satyam Kunj Society in Kalamboli, hanged herself from a ceiling fan at home with a dupatta. A day before, the New Sudhagadh Education Society in Kalamboli had started distributing hall tickets.
“The suicide seems to be a fallout of her own misunderstanding as she did not go to college on February 3 when they were being distributed. She presumed that she might not get her hall ticket as she had remained absent. Afraid that she would lose an academic year and be scolded by her parents, the girl might have got mentally disturbed and took the drastic step the following day, Thursday,” said Kondiram Popere, senior inspector at Kalamboli police station.
The college principal said hall tickets have not been denied to any of their HSC students appearing for the state board exams, starting from February18, said Popere on Friday after initial investigation. “The girl’s college attendance shows she was absent for 40 days over the year. Yet, she was not denied a hall ticket. She should have told her parents that she had not collected her hall ticket on Wednesday when they were being distributed by the college. There are many more students who are yet to collect their hall tickets,” added Popere.