Educational Smuggling

Seram Neken *

CBSE Physics question paper on sale as on March 04 2014 :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

While the education ministry in Manipur has been actively engaging in its ardent task of cleansing the sector and bringing about all round improvement in education of the younger generation, a number of conmen have spoiled the academic sanctity in the state by resorting to educational smuggling.

Hueiyen Lanpao Daily with its three publications (English, Meitei Mayek and Manipuri language editions) has in the recent past made important expositions in regard to the education sector of the state. The most recent eye-opener story of the Hueiyen Lanpao Daily on the question paper leakage in the ongoing CBSE examinations may be construed as an indication of the deteriorating educational atmosphere in Manipur. In its Expose, the Hueiyen Lanpao daily in its website uploaded the leaked question paper of Physics, which later on exactly resembled the questions circulated in the Examination hall.

It is not only the illegal drugs business, for which Manipur earns the notoriety of other states. It is not only the AIDS menace that attracts the notice of the global community. It is not only the rapes and child trafficking which attract attention of the nation. It is not only the fake encounters designed by the security persons that terrorize people.

To a number of conmen in Manipur, education has served as a commodity for the most profitable business. Merits of a number of students have been compromised in the process of educational smuggling perpetrated by some owners of educational institutions.

While a number of meritorious students are toiling in their study for the annual examinations, hundreds or thousands of their genres are bribing for their marks and positions. Some schools affiliated to the CBSE, if not all, have been indulging in the business of selling question papers to the students and their guardians. Such institutions themselves make arrangements for copying in the examinations by charging hefty amounts from the parents of the candidates. It is also frenzied time for some of the school teachers and invigilators who fix the rates for each subject in the examination hall. Mass copying is reportedly allowed in some of the ongoing examination centres. What will be the fate of a number of meritorious students who have been toiling hard for their studies?

The news of question paper leakage has surely casted a slur on the face of a number of students who excelled in CBSE examinations and those schools which produced high-ranking students in the past. As for instance, the Zenith Academy was widely acclaimed throughout India, when it produced the Class-XII topper of the country few years back.

There were even controversies for delayed reach of cash awards to the school and its topper student. Some officers of education department even faced the authority�s wrath to the extent of changing positions as penalty. However, the name of most applauded institution has not been heard in the following years, as it probably fails to retain its reputation of producing high ranked students.

Now with the news of cent per cent question leakage, everyone surely feels the impression that producing a first position student from a school does not amount to overall improvement of education in the school or the state. When the examinations are conducted in an unfair manner, the marks obtained by students have nothing to do with quality of education.

A number of schools affiliated to the CBSE have admitted students with the strong commitment that they will be able to get high marks and secure positions in the examinations. The schools used to charge a hefty amount from each student each year for fulfilling the wishes of students and parents. Merit is totally out of place in the race for positions, as the examinations are not fairly done.

Bribes are paid so as to sit in the relaxed examination centres, examination invigilators are engaged for supplying solved answers, and question papers are also made available to candidates prior to examinations. All these evil practices are the handiworks of certain people, who may be termed as Educational Smugglers.

The education sector in Manipur had long been suffering from all kinds of irregularity and corruption until the new initiatives of the education ministry came recently. With the entry of the incumbent Education Minister of Manipur, the people are in sight of a new hope for overall educational development in the state.

The dynamic and committed leadership of the present education minister has spearheaded various innovative and reformative measures in the recent past. Still academic reformation in Manipur is in its bud as we have to go a long way to bring education at par with international standards. During such hectic endeavour of the state government as well as the academic community, some notorious elements are sabotaging the education sector by way of doing business in the academic institutions.

It is high time the state government puts a proper monitoring of the working of educational institutions particularly the conduct of examinations under the various boards. Otherwise, the much hyped quality education will remain at stake in the state.