A 17-year-old student’s death by suicide in Telangana has sparked debate about the ‘not even one minute late’ rule followed by the State Board of Intermediate Education.
The student from Mangurla village of Adilabad district was denied entry into the examination hall because he was allegedly late by 15 minutes. The dejected teenager purportedly jumped into a reservoir on his way home. In a note allegedly written by him, he apologised to his father. He wrote that he was not allowed to take the exam and he could not bear the pain.
The ‘not even one minute late’ rule was put in place to avoid leak of question papers. However, over the years, educators have argued that the rule puts poor students coming from far-off places at a disadvantage.
In 2020, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Telangana high court to scrap this rule. The lawyer had argued that certain unexpected events such as bad health, family problems and bad roads could make a student reach the examination centre late. Sometimes, students and parents find it difficult to locate the examination centres.
Commenting on the rigidity of the rule, Meghana Musunuri, founder of Fountainhead Global School and junior college, said: “People can always have exceptions on humanitarian grounds to take a call on set rules. It is not because of the rules he gave up on life, no one prepared him to face life, disappointments, or how to face challenges.”
“Planning is important and plays a major role in achieving things. If someone faces a challenge despite the planning, the manner in which it is communicated to the invigilator matters. The invigilator, too, should have the common sense to evaluate the situation before taking a call. The rule is set for a reason (leakage of question paper). If the situation is not to defeat the purpose of the rule, people can take a call and help,” she added.
D Elista, HOD of English and Journalism department at Loyola Academy in Alwal, said: “The death by suicide is quite tragic. I think that it’s important for students to understand the importance of being punctual, but at the same time it is also important for us to keep in mind that a few things are uncertain. You never know why one might get late. While punctuality is crucial, it’s also vital to recognize that certain unforeseen circumstances can delay someone. This is particularly true during the time of exams when students can feel vulnerable. In such cases, it’s important to approach the situation with a lot empathy and understanding and be a little more considered towards students, especially during the time of their board exams.”
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