Hyderabad, Mar 1: The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) Telangana has demanded the state government to end ‘one-minute late rule’ for examinations after a student died by suicide as he was not allowed to write intermediate exam for coming one minute late.
A student’s tragic death at Adilabad linked to arriving late for an intermediate exam triggered concern over the one-minute late rule. Barring students from exams for being a minute late is against the spirit of education and must be revoked, the SIO said.
SIO Telangana condemns such a policy and demands the government to reconsider the rule, emphasising its adverse effects. Thousands of students commute using public transport to reach their exam centre; preventing them from appearing in the exam due to a slight delay not only jeopardizes their academic future but also poses a threat to their mental well-being. This suicide underscores the need for a more compassionate and flexible approach to exam policies, the SIO said.
- Sivakumar, an intermediate second year (12th class) student in Adilabad district, jumped into a reservoir to end his life after he was not allowed into the exam centre for being late by one minute. Officials, however, said the student had not come to the exam centre. They believe he took the extreme step due to exam-related stress.
At some exam centres, students broke down after being turned away for being late. The students who travel by buses of state-owned Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) to reach the exam centres are the worst hit. Non-availability of buses causes severe hardships to the students, especially in rural areas.
Nearly 10 lakh students are appearing in the intermediate exams which began across Telangana on February 28.
The Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TSBIE) is conducting the annual exams at 1,521 centres across 33 districts.
Students have been directed to report to the exam centres an hour before the start of the exam. Those late by even one minute are not allowed to write the exams.
