‘Cheating down 90pc owing to CM’s efforts’

Use of unfair means at examination centres during the ongoing higher secondary school certificate, parts I and II, annual examinations has been reduced to 90 percent due to the Sindh chief minister’s efforts.

This was stated by education minister, Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, while speaking to the media during his visit to the Premier Boys College, North Nazimabad, on Wednesday.

He said that incidents of cheating in exams had been reduced considerably and that majority of the students were solving papers on their own.

He claimed that unauthorised people regardless of how influential they are, have strictly been forbidden from entering examination centres. The minister also warned of taking action against violators.

When asked to comment on Tuesday’s incident where a college principal was allegedly assaulted by a Rangers soldier when the latter tried to prevent some students from cheating, the education minister refrained from speaking about it.

Dahar inspected a number of rooms where exams were being held. He directed the college administration to provide cold, pure drinking water to students, keeping the severe heat in mind and also arrange for suitable lights.

10 cases reported

The Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) reported at least one case of impersonation, while another student was said to have made aways with his answer scriprt from the examination centre among eight other cases.

In another incident a student was caught using a smartwatch to solve his paper. According to the board’s official, all cases were proceeded to relevant sections for legal proceedings.

The provincial education minister during his surprise visits to the Government City College, in Gulberg, and the Government Commerce College near PIDC, on Tuesday had found several students in possession of their  mobile phones. 

He directed all students to hand over their phones to the invigilators and warned of confiscating them for good if they brought the phones inside the examination centre again.

He advised students to shun the practice of cheating. He said their was an urgent need to curb cheating at all costs.