Seven ‘Munnabhais’ caught in Punjab Class-12 exams

Punjab has its own share of ‘Munnabhais’, who’ll do to clear the Class-12 board examinations what Sanjay Dutt does in the 2003 hit Bollywood film to get into medical college — send in an impersonator.

Punjab has its own share of ‘Munnabhais’, who’ll do to clear the Class-12 board examinations what Sanjay Dutt does in the 2003 hit Bollywood film to get into medical college — send in an impersonator.

A handful of students this year also took away the answer sheets. At one centre, they locked the gate to hold the flying squad outside for about 10 minutes before it seized huge photocopied material as evidence of mass copying. (Representational picture)

The education board has caught seven elder cousins or siblings writing examination in place of candidates this year. Strict invigilation has brought down the number of cheating cases over the past five years but the favourite aid — ‘parchi’ (chits) — and the places to keep it safe — bathrooms, shoes, the hemming of the girls’ shirts — remain unchanged. “At many centres, the students were asked to remove their shoes before checking in. At many centres, they didn’t put their shoes back on even when asked to,” said a flying squad officer.

A handful of students this year also took away the answer sheets. At one centre, they locked the gate to hold the flying squad outside for about 10 minutes before it seized huge photocopied material as evidence of mass copying. The complaint that the solutions to all the examination questions were written on the blackboard could not be substantiated.

Note-worthy tricks

In 2013, Bluetooth was the hottest hi-tech means of cheating. Students concealed these short-distance wireless devices underneath their turbans. Later, a rule came to confiscate all Bluetooth devices before the test starts. In 2012, an ingenious method of cheating cane to light. At one of the centres, answers coded in a song were played over loudspeaker from a nearby shop.

Punjabi, not science

If you thought students found science subjects the toughest, think again. Most of the unfair means cases are detected in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and English papers for Class-12 and mathematics, English, Punjabi and science papers for Class 10.

Borders on serious

The border areas of Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran are from where maximum cases of cheating have come to light. Invigilation there remains a headache for the education department as well the school education board.

What happens in unfair means cases

After the examinations are over, a committee looks into various cases of unfair means

The students are given an opportunity to explain and then punishment is decided

The culprit could be let off with warning, debarred, or punished in any other way that the committee seems fit

UMC cases

2013: 1,230

2014: 624

2015: 280

2016 (so far): 50