JAGATSINGHPUR: Tension prevailed at Kaliaboda Gadibraham Vidyapeeth in Erasama on Thursday after guardians and students clashed with the special squad over frequent surprise checks against copying in High School certificate (HSC) examination conducted by the Board of Secondary Education (BSE).
A group of students, including guardians, detained the squad members and assaulted them while they were checking malpractice during the Social Science examination. A scuffle broke out between the guardians and the squad members creating tension in the locality.
On being informed, Erasama police, led by IIC Bichitrananda Sethy and Tehsildar Anjali Tarai, rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation. Later, the examination was conducted in the presence of police personnel. Sources said hundreds of old students, who had passed Class VII but did not clear the matriculation, were appearing in the HSC examination under State Institute of Open School (SIOS) programme in Kaliaboda Gadibraham Vidyapeeth under Japa panchayat.Under this programme, which was launched in 2015, students are given 10 chances, twice a year for five years, to clear the examination.
Following reports of copying by these old students, the Board had pressed a special squad into service to check malpractice. As the squad carried out surprise checks frequently in the school, the students were unable to resort to copying during the exams. Sources said despite taking necessary measures, cases of copying during HSC examinations are on the rise. Non-installation of CCTV cameras in sensitive examination centres due to lack of funds has worsened the situation.
A few days back, locals were seen providing answer chits to students during Odia exam at Benuababa Nodal Vidyapeeth in Sabhamula village under Jagatsinghpur block. Though villagers jumped the boundary wall of the examination centre to help the students cheat, officials of the School and Mass Education department and police personnel, who were present there, turned mute spectators.
Contacted, District Education Officer Prativa Manjari Das said necessary arrangements had been put in place to check malpractice. After getting allegations of cheating, the department pressed a special squad into service to check copying in different centres, she added.A total of 17,130 students appeared in the HSC examinations, which came to an end on Thursday, at 93 centres in Jagatsinghpur district.
In a separate incident, a student of Binapani High school, who was on her way to appear in the HSC exam, sustained grievous head injuries in an accident on Thursday. The student, identified as Sabita Das, was on her way to Goda High School to appear in the exam when she fell from the bike and lost consciousness. She suffered serious head injuries and was rushed to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
Unfair means
nDespite taking necessary measures, cases of copying during HSC examinations are on the rise
nNon-installation of CCTV cameras in sensitive examination centres due to lack of funds has worsened the situation
n A few days back, locals were seen providing answer chits to students during Odia exam
n A total of 17,130 students appeared in the HSC examinations at 93 centres in Jagatsinghpur district