High drama outside DAV as students denied entry

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 2

High drama was witnessed outside DAV Public School, Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar, after five students, who had come to appear for Class XII compartment exam, were not allowed entry. Students raised a hue and cry, and stood outside the gate pleading for entry. The police also reached the spot but could not provide any help in this regard.

The exam was scheduled to start at 10:30 am and students were asked to report in the examination centre by 10 am. Five students, who had come from other cities and peripheral areas, said they were not allowed to enter the exam centre as they had reached five minutes late than the time of reporting.

Ranjeet Singh, who had come from Ferozepur to re-appear for economics, said: “I had reached the gate at 10:05 am and was not allowed entry at gate number 1, from where I was asked to proceed to gate number 2. At gate number 2 as well, I was not allowed to enter. I was only five minutes late and the exam was to start at 10:30 am. I kept pleading that this was my last chance but nobody listened to me. I got late as the Punjab Roadways employees were on strike and there was huge rush in the buses due to this.”

Shubam, another candidate who had reached a few minutes late, came from Balachour to re-appear for mathematics exam. He, too, had to return without giving his exam. “It was just a matter of few minutes but I was denied entry and lost the only chance to clear my exam,” he said.

Ranjeet Singh, another student, had come from Dallewal village to re-appear for physics. “Despite my requests, I was not allowed to enter. The paper was to start at 10:30 am and there was still time but they did not allow me to sit in the exam,” he said.

Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, principal of DAV Public School, when contacted, said: “The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had given instructions to stop the entry of students after 10 am. It was at 10:15 am I got to know that some students were waiting outside the gate. I was helpless in this regard as we acted according to the CBSE instructions. If students have any complaints, they can talk to the CBSE. I saw students standing outside the gate at as early as 7:30 in the morning but were allowed entry only at 9 am. Other students, who, too, had travelled from other cities, reached on time. Gates were closed at 10 am as instructed by the CBSE.”

“I did not call the police and came to know about their presence outside the gate only after they had arrived. Either the students might have called them on their own or they must have come on rounds. I am not aware of any of it,” she added.