CCTVs in place, govt allows exam centres in pvt pharmacy colleges

Rajmeet Singh

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Chandigarh, December 6

Reversing its own decision, the government has allowed exams at centres in 109 private pharmacy colleges in the state. This will enable students of private colleges to appear in their institutes.

To check mass copying and other unfair practices at the private colleges, the government had last year decided to conduct exams of private pharmacy college students in the government-run Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics under CCTV surveillance.

For students’ convenience

The decision has been taken keeping in mind the hardships faced by the students, who have to commute long distances to reach centres. —Harjot Bains, Education Minister

As the exams are beginning from December 8, the government has allowed at least 109 examination centres – mostly in private pharmacy colleges. The maximum centres are in Fazilka and Sangrur districts.

Minister for Technical Education and Industrial Training Harjot Bains said the decision had been taken keeping in mind the hardships faced by the students, who have to commute long distances to reach these centres.

“But we have stringent conditions like deputing govt ITI and polytechnic staff and monitoring the activities in CCTV cameras from the state headquarters”, said the minister.

In June this year, the exams of the private pharmacy college students conducted by the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training at government ITIs and polytechnics had resulted in only 40 per cent of the students appearing for the annual examinations.

“It will be interesting to see whether attendance and the pass percentage improves this time”, said an official in the department.

In four papers held in June this year, the attendance between 45 per cent and 58 per cent has been reported with students from the private colleges in Sangrur and Abohar districts being the maximum absentees.

In one of the papers held on May 25 earlier this year, all 63 students of a private pharmacy college skipped their exams in Sangrur as the government centre was equipped with CCTV cameras.

In the previous years, near 100 per cent attendance was reported in the exams conducted by the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training at the private pharmacy colleges.

Allowing the exam centres at the private colleges, the board has deputed superintendents and deputy superintendents for conducting the exams, said officials.