Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite
Lamka, March 30:
The disgusting episode that unfolded at the Don Bosco A private centre here on Wednesday-the day HSLC students appeared for the Mathematics paper-was substantiated by the students who recounted their tales today.
Accounts of more than seventy students, some of whom broke down during the course, were heard by the media and Churachandpur District Students' Union leaders today as the students concluded their examination on a dismal note.
Moments before the students gave their nightmarish account, officials of the examination centre tried their bit to downplay the incident but gradually conceded that it may have happened.
Chaoba Stanley, AOC of the centre who initially denied having any knowledge of anything amiss during the examination, later claimed that a student had indeed approached him begging for additional time.
Ranjan H of Sielmat Christian Higher Sec School claimed that he still had more than fifteen minutes when he requested for an additional sheet for the third time.
No sheet was given to him nor was he given any extra time as the invigilator swiftly snatched his paper after the last bell.
Some of them were advised to make use of every space available including the back pages of their graph.
Lalsiemmawi of Rengkai Government High School has this to say : "We were advised to make use of the spaces only in the last minute and before we could even finish a couple of lines we were told to wrap up".
T Ginzalal Khongsai of Hill Model School, Singngat who came all the way from the interior sub-division said that he still had 25 minutes left at the he requested for an additional sheet.
He waited for the sheet until the last bell only to witness his papers being snatched away.
Ronny of Stephen High School, Saikot claimed that he was only halfway when he used up his main sheet and had more than 20 minutes of time.
"Now, I will have to depend on luck to get through as all my efforts in burning the midnight oil has gone waste purely due to the shortage of papers" he rued.
Lily Nunhoih from Room No 11 on the other said that they were advised not to even ask for additional papers.
Most of the students whose statements were heard claimed that they didn't receive the additional sheet at all and that they were not informed of the additional time officials claimed was awarded to them.
Some, who claimed they were allowed to continue after the last bell, nevertheless noted that the additional time added would hardly be five minutes.
The schools whose students came forward to give their account include, Ebenezer Academy, Lamjang H/S, St Paul's Institute, Stephen H/S, Sielmat Christan Hr Sec, Rengkai Govt H/S, Hill Model H/S-Singngat, Saikot Govt.H/S and Don Bosco H/S.Taking a grim note of the incident, CDSU has warned that unless BSEM takes appropriate measure and make special arrangement for awarding atleast 10 marks each to all the students of Don Bosco A to compensate the damage, the board will solely be held responsible for any consequences.
It also denounced the officials for failing to con sole the students and for allowing chaos and confusion to transpire.
Zomi Students' Federation on the other extended its sympathy to the students and in the same breathe condemned the officials concerned for their in incompetency.
The student body wished such unwanted incident should be the first and last of its kind in the district.