“Everyday news of leaking of paper of one or another examination has resulted into a total loss of credibility and collapse of examination system in the country. The students feel that the system of examination has shattered to such an extent that they find to search a person who could leak them the ensuing paper is the better course of an option than to toil all the nights prepare for that”.
The innocent students putting all their best, without caring for their health and hard-earned money of parents feel themselves the main victims of all this money-making game.
Recently the news of leaking of papers of CBSE medical and earlier leakage of CAT paper and the revelation made by the accused that they had also leaked these papers in the past, but the students who failed in earlier examinations in such a misfortune position, that they find no solace anywhere and just treat themselves most unlucky and cheated by the traders of the fate of students. They don’t find any legal or judicial remedy to make up for the loss they suffered from these miscreants.
Such incidents of paper leaking have far-reaching effects on the moral and ethical values possessed by such innocent people. They could turn to such deceptive and improper means in their future course of life that means the youth of today are being diverted towards a wrong and unethical way of thinking. Such character assassination of youth may have a very dangerous impact on the future of any country.
The crucial point to ponder is: whether the examination is overhauled to avoid or prevent such incidence of paper leaks in the future? The answer is a big and boisterous YES!
The System of examination as it exists today does not at all assess the real worth and intelligence of the candidate. If the same answers are judged by two different examiners, we find a lot of difference. One examiner may be liberal and another may be a meticulous one, the way of marking differs a lot. The present-day examination system is nothing but a matter of chance, no certainty or reliability can be placed. Most of the students suffer from examination phobia, as the date of examination draws nearer the students start becoming nervous. Many times his nervousness so overpowered him that even his best-learned lessons seem erased from his mind. Many times the question paper gives him an utter shock, whatever the topics he has left out, thinking unimportant or unworthy of appearing in the papers, but find then in the paper and topics of importance and thoroughly prepared to find no place in the paper.
The existing Examination system and procedure of judging one’s ability are so unnatural and faulty that a mediocre student can secure distinction marks and an intelligent may cut a sorry figure. Moreover, in the present examination system, except for the question paper of objective type, only cram work is useful. One who possesses good power of cramming, facts and texts secure good marks rather than an intelligent one who could not cram but analyze in a proper manner. Leacock says, “Parrots and Crows would do well in such examinations“.
It is also important to point to note that the existing system puts so much psychological and physical pressure upon the students, that many of them, grew pale and mere shadows to pass the rest of their life consulting one or another doctor.
There are some important points to discuss in the matter of paper leaking.
Accountability:- Who is to be held accountable for such incidents? Did the top lose his job or face penalty after any of these scams- CAT scam, CB SE medical leak, etc. ? We don’t see any reason to keep the top man of the university or the examination conducting body to continue. The man at the helm of affairs is to a great extent responsible for such leaks if not directly but indirectly for not taking due care of the security. He must not be allowed to discard the responsibility that it was not his job, but looking to another side of the coin, he has no job to do himself except to supervise all the jobs carried out in the institution. It is again a point that why are the education reforms not underway? The top tests in the world- SAT, GRE, GMAT are conducted not by the government, but by the private-run agency and there was never a chance of a paper leak.
The examination system is purged in a way that the chance of a paper leak is abolished totally and severe and stern action must be initiated against the heads of the examination section so that proper care is taken by them.
Transparency:- Transparency brings greater credibility and would make the process appear above board. Appearing above board is as important as being above board. Some points seem much illogical in the matter of transparency. Why are the selection criteria not clearly articulated by all institutions? Why is the weightage for various parameters not pre-announced by the testing institute or body? Why are percentile scores not made public? Why are students not allowed to take away question papers after the examination?
Why the system of total revaluation of copies not be allowed after charging nominal fees? If all the above questions are tried to be solved in the present scenario of paper leak, a lot of transparency can be maintained.
Deploying technology is not a difficult task as it helps in minimizing the chances of leaking papers. Online examination system can well be introduced in examinations like CAT, Medical, IIT, etc. It is argued that the students from the rural areas will feel discouraged by such an option but if we look to the reality even with the existing system, they don’t have any approach with the coaching centers of the metro from where most of the students secure selection. Only a few candidates from the rural area could secure selection. At the cost of a few, it is illogical to make the huge number of candidates suffer in the democratic pattern of society.
The frequent incidents of paper leaks mean inadequacy of the security in the process of papermaking and handling of the process up to conduct of the examination. Somewhere negligence, over faith, lack of security measures avoiding set guidelines resulted in the paper leaks. The process is not given due importance from a security point of view. Strategies should be built up that even the papermaker must not know the surety of using the same paper for the purpose. Persons of unquestionable integrity only be given the responsibility to get the process completed.
The issue of the paper leak is very complex and requires an in-depth analysis of the existing process before any remedial measures are taken. Two crucial points are important here. First, if the existing system is to be changed, its dominion over the education system has to be minimized and second, the quality and mechanism of examination have to be improved so as to make it more credible and up to the mark. The best way to avoid the leakage of papers is the adoption of a system of’ online, examination’ and ‘examination on demand.’ Stress waiting for an examination, cannot be overcome by online technology but the anxiety of waiting for the result is finished. In a large country like India, where a large section of the students come from the rural segment, proper infrastructure is needed. But providing and developing necessary infrastructure is not a difficult task for a country that excels in IT solutions in the world. With out-sourcing becoming so common in India, the IT companies like Infosys, Wipro, Reliance, etc. can be given the job and we can sure rest assured from any kind of fear of paper leakage.
The system does not help in developing the natural instinct or analyzing the power of the students. It has just become a necessary evil and in the present circumstances when the incidents of paper leaking have become so common that the overhauling of the whole system at least the system of examination of higher education is very urgent and imminent. In order to ensure credibility of the process and to mitigate the sufferings of candidates by incidence of paper leak, it is necessary to overhand the whole system so that it actually judges the capability and intelligentsia of the students.