M A I L B A G

Tackling the menace of copying

WE should bow in shame due to the copying incident at Bathinda. This incident is the first in my 50 years of teaching experience. I feel ashamed that I belong to the teaching community.

While teachers are encouraging cheating, they are also humiliating the intelligent and honest candidates who refuse to become a party to such immoral practices. The punishment awarded to the candidate who did not comply with the instructions of the invigilator is still worse so much so that the Controller of Examinations and the flying squad were not allowed to enter the examination centre.

Ironically, no one is prepared to own up responsibility for the heinous crime and the culprits may ultimately go scot-free because of the lacunae in the judicial system. I feel the punishment should be exemplary. The services of the teachers involved in the copying incident should be terminated. They should be debarred from taking up any service and blacklisted. Serious steps against the students are also needed so that nobody ever dares to indulge in such a shameful act.

K.C. TANDON, Bathinda

II

I feel ashamed of the conduct of some teachers in the copying episode. If teachers cannot ensure orderly conduct of examinations, the services of the gram panchayats and ex-servicemen should be requisitioned for invigilation work. Not all teachers are bad. But upright teachers who refuse to kow-tow to the wishes of VVIPs should be protected from harassment and torture.

Sensitive schools should be provided police security. If VVIPs threaten the exam staff, action should be taken against them. Political interference and allotment of duties to teachers on discriminatory grounds should also stop if they have to play a pivotal role in checking copying in the examinations.

VIJAY HEER, Raili-Jajri (Hamirpur)

III

The student who refused to cooperate in copying for a VVIP ward was stripped by teachers! Copying has become the biggest menace in the country today. It has become common in Himachal Pradesh. How will students come up in life in this era of globalisation if copying is allowed in the examinations? Public awareness is a must to end this evil practice.

MEHAR SINGH MANN, Kusumpati (Shimla)

IV

Mass copying has become a national phenomenon. Attempts by various state education boards to check copying have failed. Some boards have adopted a new system of setting question papers into three to five series, but this too has made no impact. Rather, it has helped examinees to exchange the incriminating material that they carry in their pockets while entering the examination hall. The staff do not recover the material from the candidates for fear of reprisals from VVIPs or political and official heavy weights.

I would call for a ban on all kinds of cheap help-books. The style of question paper should be changed. It should be set in such a manner that candidates have to think and answer instead of finding out ready answers. Public meetings should be organised to spread awareness among the students on the evil of copying.

P.C. VISHVAKARMA, Nagrota Surian (Kangra)

Remembering Bhagat Singh Today is Bhagat Singh’s Martyrdom Day. When our political system has failed to deliver the goods, it is time to remember his saga of sacrifice. As a revolutionary, his revolt was not a prescription for chaos, but a step towards achieving the goal of a social system without any exploitation of man by man. Bhagat Singh, who was a great thinker and prolific writer, advocated individual liberty to all citizens irrespective of sex, caste, religion and race as he thought this would help them develop their abilities to the fullest extent. He called for a socialist revolution for the establishment of an egalitarian society. Bhagat Singh was conscious of the need to reconcile and overcome the problems so as to build a united India of his dreams. He realised that poverty was the root cause of all social conflicts and the mental slavery which promotes primordial loyalties like caste and narrow religious sympathies. Bhagat Singh was a patriot par excellence. But he was not a fanatic nationalist. He said that those who were on the verge of starvation, half-naked and illiterate, could not be expected to be inspired by a high sense of patriotism, national honour and dignity. Dr KUSHAL PAL, Head, Political Science Dept, Dyal Singh College, Karnal

Hukamnamas

This has reference to the news-item “Spokesman editor excommunicated” (March 11). Since when has Mr Vedanti taken over the role of God? How can he excommunicate a Sikh from Sikhism? How can he claim himself to be above the law when he is an employee of an organisation.

Issuance of hukamnamas can jeopardise the position of Akal Takht. Such an attitude may prove harmful for Sikhism. In the best interest of Sikhism, let us shun dirty politics and strive to help each other.

Col GURBACHAN SINGH (retd), Patiala

Reschedule exams

The CBSE has rescheduled the dates of the All-India Engineering, Pharmacy and Architecture Entrance Examinations in view of the Lok Sabha elections. But it has not postponed the All-India Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental (Preliminary) and (Final) Entrance Examinations which are scheduled to be held on April 11, 2004, and May 16, 2004, respectively. The CBSE should hold the preliminary and final examinations for admission to the MBBS and BDS courses after the elections are over.

By this time, as the B.Sc examinations being conducted by various universities will be over, these candidates can also take up the pre-medical and pre-dental examinations.

IQBAL SINGH, Bijhari (HP)

Telephone bills

Whereas telephone bills running into lakhs of rupees are yet to be cleared by our politicians, the common man’s line is disconnected even if he cannot submit the bill of a few hundred rupees. What a democratic system we have! Publication of the representatives’ dues is good, but of what use is this if the defaulters are voted back to Parliament or State Assemblies?

DEVRAJ KHULLAR, Ferozepore City