Is our education system under mafia control?

  By Vijay Darda | 02-04-2018

Several gangs are involved in leaking question papers of examinations across the country, but the government is unable to rein them in!

Students all over the country are fuming with anger. The way question papers of the examinations are being leaked one after the other, the students and parents feel highly traumatised. They have lost their sleep. For those students who study hard, the situation is even more challenging because those who do not study properly pass with flying colours as they get the question paper beforehand. But the biggest question is how do the question papers leak? Though the Central Board of Secondary Education, state boards and universities in different states ostensibly exercise full vigilance, the education mafia easily breaches through their security wall.

When the news about the paper leaks of Chemistry and Economics of Standard XII and that of Mathematics of Standard X examinations conducted by the CBSE, filtered in, there was a hue and cry among the students and parents. Initially, the CBSE tried to deny it, but later it agreed to conduct the re-examination of Mathematics and Economics. The efforts are still underway to ensure that the re-test is conducted only in Haryana and Delhi NCR as the papers were leaked there.

In today’s era when the social media and channels of communication are so swift, it is no rocket science to understand that the question paper leaked at one place, will reach the other in no time. Kapil Sibal has rightly said that earlier different zones used to conduct different examinations so that even if confidentiality was breached in one zone, there would be no effect on the other zone. That type of examination pattern should be adopted. Since this time there was just one type of question paper for the whole country, the paper leaked at one place must have affected the examinations at the other places as well.

Now let’s take a look at the condition of Maharashtra State Board for Secondary and Higher Secondary Education. When the incidents of paper leaks of Standard X and Standard XII exams came to light, an inquiry was ordered. Investigation was conducted which revealed that a teacher who also runs a coaching institute had leaked the question papers. Not all the coaching institutes do such things, but some people join hands with the officials and employees of the education board to leak question papers so that they can benefit those who are ready to pay for it. Since such a big racket operates, it is presumed that there might be huge monetary transactions involved in it. Though there have been some arrests in Mumbai, will such people be meted out exemplary punishment so that they would not dare do it again and which could have a deterrent effect on the potential racketeers? This is a million dollar question. But going by the past instances and experience, it does not appear to be a possibility.

Surprisingly, the leakage is not confined to the question papers of school and college examinations, but even the question papers of competitive examinations have been leaked. A case of paper leak of the competitive examination conducted by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) surfaced and the candidates held protests in Delhi against it, but the commission maintained that the question paper was not leaked. Examinees have not been informed about what kind of investigation committee was set up to probe the paper leaks and who was there in that examination committee. A paper of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) also leaked in February this year. The biggest example is that of Madhya Pradesh’s Professional Examination Board in which there have been so many scams that the investigations have been going on for five years now. Hundreds of examinees are in jail, but the real culprits are still at large and have not yet been apprehended and punished. Some people have come out of the jail after serving a term.

In fact, our entire education system is being weakened and destroyed. Mass copying in the examination has become part of the education system. We have already seen the example of Bihar ‘topper’ Ruby Rai. The fundamental problem is that no attention is paid to the quality of education in our country. It is easy to understand what kind of education you will have when no attention is being paid to the quality of teachers. As a result, our educational institutions are not able to impart better education and instill ethics and values among the students. The government should consider whether today’s education system is strong enough to enable the students to stand on their own and take India forward. One more important point to note is that in the developed and developing countries of the world, the whole education is being imparted through digital medium, whereas the children in our country carry a big schoolbag on their back. Will we be able to lead the world this way? Remember that if you want to take the country forward, the education system must first be revamped and strengthened. The punishment for copying and leaking of question paper should be quite stringent.

Before I conclude…

The presence of mind and bravery that Sajid Khan has displayed in Gotegaon in Madhya Pradesh is highly appreciable. He is a tanker driver. He was refilling petrol at a petrol pump in the crowded market when the tanker caught fire. He immediately realised that if the tanker remained there, it will destroy the petrol pump as well as the locality around. He drove the burning tanker for five kilometres before halting it at a deserted place. Sajid Khan, who exhibited such an exemplary courage when it mattered most, is a real hero!

Intro

It is unfortunate that the question papers right from high school to college and even that of competitive examinations are being leaked. Everyone knows that the education mafia is involved but the government is unable to do anything. If the perpetrators are not reined in now, the entire education system will be destroyed!

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