'A window to corrupt but real world': A Class 10 student's 'Mann Ki Baat'

After innumerable debates on whether these examinations are a necessity or yet another pressure, advice from one and all and a grind of five sets of preparatory examinations conducted by the school, came February. It was a month of hard work, curfew and for many a total 'sanyaas' from social media. Over the year, some students gradually became an embodiment of discipline while others transformed into an impatient version of themselves. Every day felt like a decade but once fifth March arrived, time became a play of our pens!

Each examination brought with it new stories, memories to cherish and take-backs to laugh upon down the lane. 

Board centres, alone, were a store of experiences. On some days there was a serious atmosphere while on others the students were forced to laugh in spite of the anxiety of the exam scheduled just after. There were serious instances of flying squads barging in the examination hall, frisking the suspected examinees to comic incidences when the most important-THE CLOCK stopped ticking in the middle of the paper.

One by one all dates on the date sheet were crossed out but the day of maths exam turned to be a traitor. Immediately after taking the math paper, the happiness of getting over with it turned into shock as the circulars of ‘Reconduct of Math Exam’ made their way into our photo galleries. We felt cheated! The only hope was that we would receive yet another message saying that the entire thing was a gigantic hoax.

The students were frustrated and all were buzzing with passion to combat examophobia. What ensued was a war of words constituting pre-eminent voices. Even those who were still left with their exams had pretty much forgotten to study, rather the study time was used up in signing petitions.

But then there is nothing either good or bad, thinking makes it so. The solution has to be within us, and keeping this in mind we started looking at the positive side of it. The entire leaking case was a window to the corrupt but real world, away from our school life.

We had the responsibility, duty and even the power and rights. We were to bring about a change. As students did their part, CBSE did theirs and cancelled the re-exam for most.

Amya Jain is a Class 10 student at Birla Vidya Niketan in New Delhi. Views expressed are personal. They do not reflect the view/s of Business Standard