The suggestions made by Anjuli Bhargava in her column, "How to prevent students from cheating" (March 8), in the wake of mass copying in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar schools sound impulsive.
Not all schools in these states allow cheating nor do all students cheat. Barring all students from taking exams or deducting 10 per cent marks from their final result would punish the innocent ones also. Besides, those who pass exams by cheating aim for careers in their home states as they are likely eliminated during interviews in other states.
Cheating in the schools of the two states has grown due to political support as well as academic capriciousness. The head of the school where mass cheating takes place should be jailed or penalised along with the invigilators. Monetary support to the school could be withdrawn depending on the extent of cheating. Students found cheating should be expelled and barred from admission in all schools for at least a year. Flying squads manned by honest professionals should be appointed to detect cases of cheating.
Y G Chouksey Pune
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