Confusion mired TET declared null and void, fracas all over
Candidates subjected to musical chairs
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 16 2011: Commissioner (Education) Dr T Suresh Babu was compelled to rescind from an earlier assertion that there is no leakage of question paper when he declared the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) held today as null and void upon spotting some candidates entering an alternative examination centre with question papers along with answer scripts.

The TET examination conducted today by the Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BSEM) was marred by controversy with several candidates denied access to the examination centres after their names were found missing contrary to the same centre entered in the admit card they have been issued.

Unaware of such impending development, Dr T Suresh talking to some media persons at the Board office claimed that the examination is underway smoothly and there is no question of question paper leakage.

However, with some Board officials coming in for severe criticisms from some of the candidates, who were initially disallowed to appear in the Test, and taking hasty decision of making Bengali High School as the alternative examination centre, the Commissioner had to nullify his own assertion and announce that a decision would be announced soon to enable the deprived candidates appear for the said Test.

Miffed candidates gather in front of the BSEM office to lodge their complaints

While controversy over seat arrangement has been reported from Lilashing Khongnangkhong High School, MBC, Bal Vidya Mandir High School (Kongpal) and Nirmalabas High School centres to name a few, attempt to re-arange seating at Lilashing Khongnangkhong High School due to 'excess' number of candidates at Adimjati Little English School is informed to have sparked the controversy.

According to some of the candidates, who had to seat at the verandah of the alternative centre, they had already settled for the Paper-II Test in the afternoon when some Board representatives arrived about 40 minutes later than scheduled and distributed question papers.However, the answer scripts allotted to these candidates were supposed to be of the Paper-I test already conducted in the morning session.

After some of the candidates pointed out the flaw and chaos ensued it was ultimately decided that the paper-II examination will be conducted at Bengali High School resulting in enmass movement of the candidates to the alternative venue with the question paper in their own possession.

Upon reaching the new venue where candidates from other centres had also congregated following similar problem at their respective centres the Commissioner (Education) Dr Suresh Babu, who was already there after some candidates gheraoed the Board office, spotted the candidates in possession of the question papers thereby declaring the afternoon session as null and void.

The Commissioner informed that a decision would be taken on the matter in consultation with all the officials concerned after which a fresh schedule will be announced to re-conduct the TET examination for those candidates who missed the afternoon session, even though some of the candidates terming the controversy as a fallout of inefficient handling of Board officials demanding that stringent punitive action be initiated against those found guilty.

Action against errant Board officials has also been raised by student bodies such as AMSU, DESAM, MSF, KSA and All India Students' Federation.

In a joint media briefing by functionaries of AMSU, DESAM, KSA and MSF at the latter's office this evening, they blamed knee-jerk reaction by the Board for the shoddy conduct of the TET examination.

Observing that entertaining some 165 candidates, who were actually provided seats at the CC Higher Secondary School centre to appear for the Test, at Bengali High School along with the large number of candidates from other centres sparked the controversy of question paper leak, they described as unethical candidates from CC Higher Secondary School centre entering the new venue with the question paper.

While demanding that all the candidates, who missed today's Test be provided a fresh date, functionaries of the student bodies expressed strong apprehension that considering the manner in which the examination was conducted today it cannot be ruled out that declaration of the Test result will be free from another major controversy.

Holding the Commissioner (Education Schools) Dr Suresh Babu equally responsible for the fracas, they alleged that the same official had also been at the centre of recent controversy with regard to delay in ensuring availability of text books.

They further demanded that there should be no leniency by the Government against the Commissioner as well as BSEM officials.