Bihar brings strict anti-cheating rules
The state government of Bihar, after being ridiculed globally over the recent mass copying incident during state board exams, finally took a decision to impose stricter rules to stop the menace. Maintaining that education was among the top priorities of the Nitish Kumar-led government, education minister Ashok Chaudhary said, “Tough measures are being taken to ensure free and fair board examinations.”
According to Mr Chaudhary, the education department has earmarked several examination centers which has been involved in mass copying.
He said, “The government is planning to delist all blacklisted examination centres which has been involved in cheating in last three years”.
According to an analysis, around 12 examination centres have been blacklisted by the education department so far.
Sources said the government has also blacklisted some schools which were involved in mass copying during board exams early this year, including the school in Mahnar, Vaishali, whose photograph had surfaced showing parents scaling up the walls like lizards to pass on the answer slips to their wards with the help of local police personnel.
The Bihar government has decided to fix the responsibility to district education officials incase “cheating or mass copying is reported”.
A “strict assessment of students appearing in board examination will also be done”.
New rules to curb the mass-copying menace in Bihar may hit government schools largely as in most of the cases these schools lag behind in completing syllabus in time, which according to students “leads to cheating in board examination”. They said “strict rules are welcome but performance of teachers and schools must also be judged”.
Mr Chaudhary, taking the syllabus issue seriously, on Thursday said his government was committed to “provide better education to the students and we will ensure that syllabus gets completed on time in schools so that students appear for exams prepared”.