Well, the Higher Secondary Examination (Class XII) 2023 conducted by the Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur (COHSEM) began on Thursday with as many as 36,717 candidates appearing for the examination held in 120 centres across the state. While the Class XII examination will continue till April 1, the Class XI examination undertaken by COHSEM commenced on Friday and will conclude on April 5 with as many as 32,899 candidates appearing in 209 exam centres across the state.
Although district magistrates, including the district magistrates of Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, Jiribam and Thoubal have imposed prohibitory order under Section 144 CrPC,1973 as a preventive measure to prevent a breach of peace and tranquillity in and around the examination centres, prohibitory orders alone cannot ensure smooth conduct of the examination.
On the first day of the Class XII examination, incidents of unfair means or malpractices during the examination were reported. Though there were no official reports of any unfair means by the candidates, some of the student bodies have pointed out irregularities in some of the examination centres, during inspection.
The Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) said that its volunteers had redhandedly caught an impersonator who was appearing on behalf of a student at Chaoyaima Higher Secondary School in Thoubal district. DESAM education and academic affairs secretary alleged that the candidates in the said centre were not subjected to any sorts of frisking before entering the examination hall and witnessed a lot of commotion during the examination. The Federal Students’ Organisation Kangleipak (FESOK) also alleged that mass copying and commotion were witnessed in Wangoi Higher Secondary and Pravabati College, Mayang Imphal.
Using unfair means or malpractices during the examination is not a new phenomenon. However, this trend must be stopped for once and all. The concerned authority and students alike need to ensure that these exam malpractices must be done away with and strive for better and quality education.
Another worrisome trend in Manipur is the trend of resorting to strikes and bandhs to pursue any demands. These strikes or bandhs during crucial exam periods can hamper the smooth conduct of the examination, besides creating untold inconveniences to students and on-duty exam officials.
Moreover, irregular power supply, particularly in the hill districts of the state, during exam period has been one of the hurdles faced by students of all categories for decades. Uninterrupted power supply is a must for students to prepare themselves for the examination. Hence, cooperation of all CSOs, NGOs, stakeholders and other concerned is very much needed for smooth conduction of the examination.
All sections should refrain from calling any sorts of bandh, blockage or strike, ensure uninterrupted power supply during the examination period and allow the future nation builders to study with a calm mind and appear for the examination in a more enjoyable and less stressful way.
As CM Biren stated in his message to the students, students should never get stressed but treat exams as a celebration, creating a 'stress-free' environment.
While students should write their exam sincerely and honestly instead of burdening themselves by using unfair means, parents and all stakeholders need to work and contribute for the smooth conduct of the examinations. Moreover, it is advisable that students maintain a healthy lifestyle - ensure to get adequate sleep, exercise, and healthy food during exam time. It must be remembered that exams can help in taking the next step in one's academic or professional career but results are not the only measure of success. So don't panic, take a deep breath and give the best!
(The view expressed are personal)
