‘Measures under way to reform examination system’
In a tete-a-tete with The Tribune team, Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta, chairman, J&K Board of School Education, talked about various issues concerning the state education system
Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta, chairman, J&K Board of School Education, in conversation with members of The Tribune team in Jammu. Tribune photos: Anand Sharma
Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta is the chairman of the J&K Board of School Education (JKBOSE). He also nurtures the hobby of penning down his feelings in prose and poetry or painting them on the canvas.
Prof Gupta has brought some fundamental changes in the board’s functioning, which he discussed with The Tribune team during an interaction. A student, Jasleen Kaur from the Shiksha Niketan Higher Secondary School, too, joined the interaction.
Following are the excerpts:
Jupinderjit Singh (JJS): Tell us something about your social and academic background?
Desh Bandhu Gupta (DBG): I belong to a remote part of Bhaderwah town. We were six brothers and four sisters and my father’s income was just Rs 20 per month, still we managed to study. I came to Jammu in my younger days. I was fond of reading and a librarian helped me by providing me books.
I did graduation in science, but as I was reading all books I could lay my hands on, the university allowed me to do parallel graduation in arts and commerce as well. Later, I did a course in Sanskrit also. Thereupon, I secured a degree in law and completed PhD.
I started my career as research associate with the Department of Economics, University of Jammu, and served at various key positions in the same institute before taking charge as chairman of the board.
JJS: How do you use this diverse knowledge in your work?
DBG: I keep the student sitting in the farthest corner of the state in my mind while taking decisions and anticipate how it will affect him. For the past three years, examination fees have not been hiked. However, we may have to enhance it in near future, but it would be not more than 10 per cent. I remember I had seen a notebook in class V and I know the value of money.
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria (RKK): The board has been in news for all the wrong reasons. There are instances of mass copying and paper leaking. What measures have you taken to avoid this in future?
DBG: Unless I get enough evidence of paper leakage, I would not initiate any action. In fact, no one has so far given me a formal complaint of paper leak or mass copying this year as well as in the past. In fact, I lodged a complaint with the police to investigate the paper leak scam of previous academic session.
Besides, I always constitute internal committees to look into such cases. I immediately sent newspaper cuttings along with a note to the BOSE secretary to initiate a probe.
To ensure a foolproof mechanism, I initiated measures like abolishing objective type questions. We have also devised a new model of examination system wherein question papers in four different series would be provided to students in every examination centre. Cell phones have been banned and if a student is found using it he invites disqualification for a period of five years. Likewise, teachers at the centres found flouting the rule invite disqualification for a period of two years.
I regretfully say that a number of teachers are involved in this unethical practice. To overcome mass copying, the BOSE would prefer schools having CCTV cameras.
Ashutosh Sharma (AS): Students have been blaming board for the paper leak and other unfair means of examination. Your comments.
DBG: So far, all accused arrested in the case are not related to the board. They are employees of the Education Department.
Jasleen Kaur (JK): Hardworking students have suffered a lot because of paper leak cases? Is there any option that the students may not have to take their examination again?
DBG: Those students who do not want to take their examination again can go for evaluation of their paper and those who opt for re-examination can submit their application forms till April 10.
I feel such incidents do not affect the hardworking and intelligent students in any way.
Dinesh Manhotra (DM): There are reports that some examination centres in the remote areas of Doda and Kishtwar districts were openly involved in massing copying. What actions the BOSE authorities have taken to check such the menace?
DBG: After getting reports of mass copying in inaccessible areas like Decchan, Marwah, Wardwan etc, I have gone through the results pertaining to these centres and found some foul play. Students of some schools that even lack teaching staff registered more than 80 per cent results. It was a clear indication of mass copying. The examinations in four such centres have already been declared invalid and action has been initiated against those were involved in conducting the examinations. The supervising staff of these centres have been debarred from conducting examinations in future.
AS: Students widely complain that even after their marks get increased during re-evaluation, the board does not refund the fee like Jammu University does. Why is it so?
DBG: The evaluation and reevaluation process is transparent. We even handout Xerox copy of the answer sheets to the students for their satisfaction.
AS: Can you tell the exact number of cases in which action was taken against the evaluators for grave discrepancies in paper checking?
DBG: From this year, we have decided to take stern action against such evaluators. The board will also get the list of such erring evaluators published in newspapers.
Archit Watts (AW): What action has been taken by the board in mass copying incident in which 21 students were caught using cell phones during their examination at Miran Sahib?
DBG: UMC cases have been made against all students involved in unfair means and a committee has been formed to investigate the matter thoroughly.
AW: Do you get full support from the police while conducting raids at examination centres?
DBG: Yes, the state police is giving us maximum support. The credit of tracing students involved in using unfair means is all due to the police.
AW: Do you know the police officer, who had helped the board to unearth the mass copying incident, has been transferred to the police lines? Is there any nexus between such mafia, board, and the police?
DBG: I can’t say anything about the nexus. And if the police officer has been transferred to the police lines, then it is to be looked by the police department.
I can only request to the media to give maximum support to the board officials in exposing such cases.
AS: The website of JKBOSE is not updated from time to time. Why so much slackness?
DBG: It was my initiative to put all information of board on the Internet. The board remains short of funds and manpower, but these issues are likely to be sorted out soon.
We have decided to upload reevaluation forms on our website so that students do not have to come to the board office for collecting the form.
Sunaina Kaul (SK): How can BOSE help students in minimising the stress for getting higher percentage in their examinations?
DBC: As per a Central government notification, grading system would be followed for evaluation, which might help reduce the stress on students. We would be giving grades to class X students whose examinations are presently underway in the Jammu zone. Similar would be the case with the students from Kashmir zone.
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