Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: How U.P. Tackled Mass Copying in Examinations.
From: <DXA4@psuvm.psu.edu>
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 11:22:32 EDT
Organization: Penn State University

Here I reproduce an article by Dr. Amrik Singh, a former Vice-Chancellor, on
recent ban of U.P. government of the practice of mass copying widely prevailed
for a long time in High School and Intermediate examinations. The article first
appeared in Hindustan Times some time last month.

Dinesh Agrawal.....
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HOW U.P. TACKLED MASS COPYING
BY: Amrik Singh
Source: Hindustan Times

   Most correspondents have got so accustomed to what is called political
reporting that they do not always take notice of what is happening outside the
narrow limits of factional and political goings-on. Hardly any political
commentator has so far taken adequate note of what has been happening in UP
during the last one month or so.

   In a planned move, the UP Government decided not to ignore mass copying any
longer. Mass copying has been taking place for decades together in that State
as also in many others. It started with colleges and universities but now has
spread even to intermediate colleges and high schools. Since the number of
students who sit for the high school examination in UP is around 15 million
today, it is not difficult to imagine the magnitude of corruption that has been
taking place all these years.

   What is commonly described as criminalisation of politics is a relatively
recent development but criminalisation of social life had been taking place on
a fairly extensive scale for several years. Mass copying, it needs no stressing
played a crucial role in this unhappy decline into criminalisation.

  Mass copying is to be differentiated from the use of unfair means. Unfair
means have been used for as long as examinations have been conducted. But mass
copying is a comparatively new phenomenon and became conspicuous around the
mid 50's. Since then there has been no looking back and things have gone from
bad to worse.

    What makes mass copying different from what used to happen earlier is the
fact that everyone is involved in it. This includes students, teachers, educa-
tional administrators, parents and even the police.

    Slowly, the educational authorities began to throw their hands up. Teachers
had already joined the racket in connivance with the students and the parents.
A few administrators who chose to intervene found themselves rendered ineffec-
tual before long. And, on the whole things went out of hand.

    It was in this context that the BJP Government in UP decided to step in.
Soon after it came to power, it had launched a campaign against gangsterism,
mainly in western UP. This area was also the stamping ground of Mr. Mulayam
Singh Yadav. Quite a few of these gangsters were part of this political flock.
When they were challenged and hauled up, it also meant a set-back to his
faction. Quite a few of the by-elections held some months ago in western UP
went in favor of the BJP largely for thos reason though, to be sure, several of
them also went in favor of the Mulayam Singh group. At any rate it became clear
to the BJP that by curbing gangsterism, it had gained something. Presumably,
this prompted them to turm their attention to the phenomenon of mass copying.

    The whole aperation was planned carefully. This time the job was much more
difficult. The area to be covered was not only small but the whole state. In
terms of coverage therefore it was not so simple. Clearly, the numbers involved
were going to be very large. No wonder the BJP deputed two of its ministers
concerned with education to mobilise public opinion so that the campaign again-
st mass copying could be carried through successfully.

    For a day or two, students and parents could not believe that there was a
change in the situation. The Police were instructed to intervene decisively.
Earlier they would turn a blind eye to what was happening. Now that was no
longer possible; anyone caught copying was arrested. The number of those arrest
ed so far is around 15000 and about 10% of them are girls. Several hundred
teachers have also been arrested. Not many parents have been arrested because
they usually remain in the background.

    Reactions vary from category to category. The middle class parents are
happy. Their children who are academically good were usually overtaken by the
children of politically influential people, who were allowed to copy with impu-
nity. The rest are not so happy but they do not know how to protest. Most of
them recognise the merit of what is being done. They grumble against poor teach
ing, neglect on the part of the teachers in the classroom, the extensive net-
work of private tuitions and things like that. But beyond grumbling, what can
they do? The administration has shown an uncommon degree of firmness, even ruth
lessness.

    It was not an ordinary spectacle to see thousands of students put behind
the bars and parents taking food to them and being allowed to meet them and
commiserate with one another. For two to three weeks there was hardly any signi
ficant protest by anyone. But now ABVP has moved into action. It has urged the
State Government not to go ahead with the prosecution part. With such large
number involved and the legal system being what it is, it would mean endless
harassment.

    Meanwhile, the State Government has extended this provision to colleges and
universities as well. There is a general sense of fear and panic. Copying has
stopped at least for the present. But it would be too simplistic to maintain
that the era of copying is over. When it returns would depend upon a number of
factors. One of them would be the consistency of support by the State Governmt.

   Much more decisive than State intervention is whether all this would lead to
a reform in the academic system. This problem is much wider and much more comp-
lex in character. Among other things, it would involve far-reaching structural
changes. Equally crucial would be the ethos of the academic profession. So much
is involved in it that it is not possible to discuss these issues in any depth
here.

   But let it be understood clearly that what has happened so far is the first
round and is primarily political in character. Unless followed up with several
successive rounds of academic improvement, the situation will remain where it
used to be.

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Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian