PSTET : Agents on prowl offer pass marks to TET candidates for big bucks
As the stage is set for Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) across Punjab on June 9, after a gap of two years, agents and middlemen have started offering their services to the prospective candidates promising them favourable results.
The agents are demanding anything from Rs 1.50 lakh to Rs 4.50 lakh from the candidates to help them pass the exam which will see more than 2 lakh applicants appearing as 391 centres in the state.
A reliable source in Punjab Education Department confirmed as much. "Agents are fully active in the system and tampering with answer sheets can be done at evaluation centres due to which the department will conduct the whole process under camera," the source said.
The source said: "Agents or middlemen are charging in lakhs and telling candidates that their acquaintances will be placed on duty at evaluation centres and will make sure that the candidate who has paid the amount is declared pass.
For the purpose, they are telling candidates to leave their OMR(Optical Mark Recognition) answer sheets blank so that tampering may be possible during evaluation."
Explaining the process by which there is a possibility of tampering in the process, the source said: "In OMR answer sheets, candidate need to darken a particular option as an answer to multiple-choice questions. These sheets are checked through computers. But as per our sources, agents are asking the candidates to leave the sheets blank, so that their men could mark the correct answers."
However, if State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) is to be believed then the foolproof arrangements are in place to check any tampering. Roshan Lal Sood, director, SCERT, talking to The India Express, said: "We are not going to leave any stone unturned to ensure free and fair examination. We have already issued directions to all the Deputy Commissioners, SSPs and police heads. The district education officers have been named the heads of the flying squads. We have also formed 26 flying squads from headquarters "
On possibility of tampering at evaluation centres, Sood said, "The examination and evaluation process will be videographed. We will also be uploading the results on the Internet with the answersheet of all the students so that they can self-evaluate."
News Source / Sabhaar : indianexpress.com (08.06.2013)
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Similar allegations happened on UPTET 2011 exam, But without fullproof honest candidates should not be punished.
Each and everywhere in India, Govt should make should full proof exam system.
This issue -
For the purpose, they are telling candidates to leave their OMR(Optical Mark Recognition) answer sheets blank so that tampering may be possible during evaluation."
must be tackled by making mandatory to darken all answers in OMR sheet. And examiner should have responsibility to check OMR sheet - they are filed or not.
For any lapses room examiner should be punished harshly so that other room examiner will learn a lesson from him.
