Jalandhar, March 16
The use of unfair means and mass copying were witnessed at Government High School, Baupur, Shahkot, during the first day of class V annual examination here today.

While the teachers were busy in examination formalities, certain friends of the examinees were found passing slips inside the examination hall from the back of the school, which had an open exit as the area was surrounded by fields at the beginning of the mathematics exam. All this took place at a time when strict anti-copying guidelines have been issued in the state as the practice is endangering the future of students.

Such was the scene at 
the examination centre that friends of examinees were literally busy tearing pages from guides at the back of the school and kept making rounds of the examination centre till the exam concluded at 3.30 pm.

Once again when The Tribune team visited the examination centre at 3 pm it was found that the friends of the examinees were busy using unfair means. And no sooner the friends of the examinees saw this correspondent approaching them, they rushed towards the fields mistaking this correspondent to be a member of the flying squad.

Though the director-general, school education (DGSE), Krishan Kumar had passed strict instructions to conduct the class V exams in a fair manner and curb the ongoing menace of mass copying but not much effect of these instructions was visible anywhere in the district.

A majority of the examination centres falling under Shahkot were found flouting the directions of the DGSE, which include the imposition of section 144 of the CrPC. The section strictly states that parents, relatives and friends of the examinees should not stand near the premises of the examination centre. However, at Baupur the parents kept standing inside the examination centre for more than half an hou and the rest were standing outside and making rounds of the centre.

At another centre of Government High School, Shahkot, the main gate was kept closed whereas parents and friends of the examinees were busy making rounds of the centre. When this correspondent tried to enquire from the gatekeeper, he refused to talk, however, he allowed a parent to go inside on some pretext. Similar scenes of parents standing on the premises of the examination centre were witnessed at other schools as well.

When contacted, deputy commissioner Ajeet Singh Pannu maintained that section 144 of the CrPC had already been imposed in the district. However, failure of the education authorities in timely implementation had lead to the menace. District education officer (secondary) Joginder Dass, too, assured to take strict action against mass copying and conduct the exams in a fair manner.

Meanwhile, deputy state project director of the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Avtar Singh expressed resentment about the poor management of the examination and assured to look into the matter. He emphasised the need to implement the order in letter and spirit for the betterment of the education system in the state.

It is pertinent to mention here that a decision to conduct the class V exams by government senior secondary schools was taken during a meeting on September 20 last year. The initiative was taken to discourage the dropout rate among the class V students and curb the menace of mass copying.

Jalandhar, March 16
The chemistry teacher, who was found guilty of setting PSEB class XII paper out of syllabus, has been debarred from all activities related to the board, said PSEB chairman Dalbir Singh Dhillon.

After The Tribune brought the matter to light regarding the errors and change in the general structure of the paper, the board constituted a committee, including subject experts from school and colleges and dean of the department concerned, to look into the matter.

According to Dhillon, even parents brought the matter to his notice.

Though the board chairman did not mention anything on the errors, he said the committee decided that the paper was out of syllabus and as it was proved too difficult for the students, there were reports of mass copying.

It is pertinent to mention that the board had cancelled the chemistry paper of class XII which was held on March 12, keeping in view the errors reported in the paper.

Subject experts had pointed out several mistakes and even said the paper was set against the general guidelines of the board, thus making it more difficult and confusing for the students.

The examination has been rescheduled for March 24.

Amritsar, March 16
The internal strife over Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD), the oldest Sikh body, has reached a flash point even as the local court has fixed the date of the hearing on a petition filed by Dr H.S. Soch, a former vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, for tomorrow.

The former VC has challenged the decision of the ruling group of CKD for holding the election of executive body on March 22 by a voice vote. Soch in his petition pleaded that the election be held through secret belt.

However, former chairman of National Commission for Minorities Tarlochan Singh in a missive sought the intervention of Akal Takht jathedar to ensure free and fair election by sending his representative on March 22 to prevent any division in the oldest body of the Sikhs.

The executive body of the CKD had reiterated that the election be held by a voice vote instead of secret ballot. On the other hand, Giani Mohinder Singh, 101-year-old former secretary of the Shiromani Committee urged Akal Takht jathedar to ensure the election through secret ballot.

However, Dr Soch has announced that he won’t contest the election if it was not held through secret ballot. He said the act of electing office bearers would lead to further division in the CKD which he would never prefer.

Nawanshahr, March 16
The development grant of Rs two crore given to the municipal council by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal last month has become a major poll issue here.

The SAD-BJP alliance has accused the Congress, which holds the reins of the MC, of creating hindrances in utilisation of the grant.

The Congress councillors have always blamed the state government of discrimination in allotment of funds. But when the funds came the corporation’s way, the Congress councillors led by MC president Rajinder Chopra boycotted the MC meeting for allotment of tenders to utilise the grant.

Later at a meeting, in which the Congress councillors remained absent, the tenders were allotted to the contractors.

Local SAD MLA Jatinder Singh Kariha even convened a meeting of the councillors to sort out the issue amicably, but in vain.

Now, the SAD-BJP combine has been trying to cash in on the issue to garner votes for its nominee Daljit Singh Cheema.

Param Singh Khalsa, a SAD councillor and member District Planning Committee, has even dared the Congress of a debate on the cable TV or at any public rally on the issue.

“The estimates of the proposed development works were prepared in the presence of the MC president and were duly signed by him, then how the question of discrimination had arisen,” asked the SAD councillor. The MC president, however, refused to comment on the pretext of the imposition of the model code of conduct. 

However, former Parliamentary Secretary Parkash Singh at a press meeting defended the Congress saying the party was ready for any debate. 

Other leaders alleged that the state government has failed to implement the schemes, which included waiving off the outstanding electricity bills of the farmers and cancellation of the cases registered against the farmer leaders. — OC

According to information, Dr Kiran Bedi, the first woman IPS officer was to preside over the annual function of a college here on March 16 but the function had to be cancelled. — OC