BENGALURU/MYSURU: For Ruman Sharif, a student of MES Kishore Kendra, Malleswaram, and resident of Mathikere, the first day of
SSLC exam was a test of not just his knowledge, but also willpower.
The boy had met with an accident on February 28 and injured his spine and leg, making it impossible for him to sit. His parents approached the Karnataka Secondary Education and Examination Board (KSEEB), which acceded to their request that he be allowed to write the exam lying down at his Government Girls PU College Examination centre, Malleswaram.
Reclining on a desk that had been exclusively reserved for him, Ruman wrote the English exam and attempted all the questions in three hours.
As Ruman was carried out of the hall, his mother Noorjahan Shariff could not hold back her tears. “We had lost all hope of our son writing the SSLC exam this year. But the officials were humane and made special arrangements for him,” she said.
According to V Sumangala, director, KSEEB, exam for the first language paper was held at 2,817 centres across the state on Monday.
The KSEEB was, however, flooded with tens of complaints, including alleged question paper leak, denial of hall tickets, last-minute changes in examination centres, hall tickets without barcode. But KSEEB officials said except for a few minor incidents, the first day went off smoothly.
While nine students were debarred for malpractice across the state, an incident of question paper leak was reported from Swami Vivekananda High School, Tangadagi Road, Shirola, Muddebihal taluk, Vijayapura district.
According to Sumangala, the question paper was allegedly leaked by a student on WhatsApp at 11.56am. “As the paper was out just 35 minutes before the exam was to end, we are not treating it as paper leak. So, parents and students needn’t worry,” she said. According to department sources, two staffers at the examination centre have been suspended.
The KSEEB will hold an inquiry into the incident.
Meanwhile, around 10,867 students were denied hall tickets due to attendance shortage. Students requesting officers to issue hall tickets was a common scene in front of block education offices (BEOs) across the state.
Vijeth Kumar, a student from Mysuru who was denied hall ticket, said he couldn’t attend classes as his parents were unwell. “I had informed my headmaster. But he didn’t give attendance,” he said.
In Chamarajanagar, three private candidates weren’t able to write the exam due to confusion over address of the exam hall mentioned on the hall ticket.
KSEEB also sought reports on allegations of mass copying at a private school in
Belagavi district.
