Parents gather outside exam centres in district

Avneet Kaur

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Jalandhar, March 16

Despite imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC around examination centres of the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) in the district, parents, relatives and friends of the students could be seen standing at the main gates and roaming here and there outside schools.

Under Section 144, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) ordered that assembly of five people or more during examinations and within the reach of 200-mt outside the centres was prohibited till April 2, in order to ensure the maintenance of law and order and to prevent gathering so as to curb cheating.

However, the order went for a toss as the crowd of people was witnessed outside Government Model Senior Secondary School, Ladowali, yesterday while the exam of Class X was going on. Same situation was found outside other schools in the district, including Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Nehru Garden, Government Senior Secondary School, Ladowali, among others.

District Education Officer, Senior Secondary, Harwinder Pal Singh said he did not see any outsider or crowd near Nehru Garden School exam centre while checking.

He said he would assure that law and order situation was maintained outside the centres and ask the principals to keep a tab over the activities going on outside the schools or at the main gate.

When contacted, the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Varinder Kumar Sharma said checking would be conducted outside the exam centres and a strict action would be taken on the schools not abiding by the law.

Meanwhile, talking to one of the parents of Class X student who was spotted waiting for his ward outside Government Model Senior Secondary School, Ladowali, he said I had come from nearby village and it’s not possible for me to go back and come again to pick my son. I had to wait outside the school till the exam is not over”.

When this correspondent informed him about the imposition of Section 144 and that he was not allowed to wait outside the school, he said, if it so, then District Administration should allocate some waiting room or community hall, where the parents could wait for three hours. Before imposing any such orders, the administration and schools should ensure proper arrangements.