Blank Answer-Sheets
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 23, 2014 -

How can any teacher stoop so low and do such a thing like ruining the academic career and life of their own students?

Perhaps, many people must have asked this same question when they first read the news report about a teacher who replaced the answer sheets of five students with blank papers after forging their signatures to make them fail in the Manipuri subject of the High School Leaving Certificate Examination-2014 conducted by the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur (BSEM)?

Thangjam Joykumar, who works as an Art Graduate Teacher in Irabot High School and deputed for duty as a Supervising Invigilator (SI) at Irong Private Examination Centre, committed this unpardonable act just because the five students refused to stay in the boarding run by him.

By doing so, he was trying to prove to the world that the five students failed in the examination because they did not study well as they did not stay in his boarding.

We feel that this is the meanest and lowliest act that anyone in the noble profession of teaching would ever think of.

So, the demand raised by DESAM to the authority concerned for taking up necessary action against the said teacher is more than justifiable.

But to set an example against such vengeful mercenary teachers, terminating Joykumar from his service would be too lenient.

In fact, he reserves to be put behind the bars for the offences of not only tarnishing the image of the entire teaching community but also trying to defame the innocent students, misleading the officials of BSEM and most importantly, misusing his power and official position under various relevant sections of Indian Panel Code.

On the other hand, after the ugly episode has come to light and everything was revealed, it is so funny that BSEM, which is responsible for the conduct of the examination, has written to the SP of Imphal West district, requesting the latter to institute an investigation into the matter for taking up appropriate action against the offenders as per law.

Frankly speaking, we would never be able to understand how this is going to work in saving the academic career of the five victimised students at this time.

Here, all that we would like to point out is that the responsibility of BSEM does not end with the conduct of the examination.

Without waiting for the candidates to apply for re-examination of their answer-sheets, there were surely ample opportunities for the BSEM officials and others associated with the conduct of the examination to sense at least something must be dreadfully wrong when the answer-sheets on Manipuri subject of the five Manipuri students were found completely blank, and hence they were given Zero marks.

It is obvious that accused Joykumar was not the only supervisor deputed for duty at Irong Private Examination Centre, and even if he managed to throw dust into the eyes of the others, it is very clear that other officials on exam duty have not done their duty at all.

Moreover, at the time of checking the answer sheets and before awarding Zero for writing nothing, evaluators should have understood that even the dumbest and stupidest students do not come to the examination hall to submit black answer sheets.

The very sight of the black answer sheets should have been enough to raise an alarm bell in their as well as BSEM officials’ minds for necessary investigation and timely action.

In short, the insensitivity of BSEM officials is as much responsible for the ugly episode of blank answer-sheets as the vengeful mercenary teacher. Period.