The Hindu : New Delhi News : Students unite to seek answers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 13, 2006
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Students unite to seek answers

Staff Reporter

A campaign launched by Arvind Kejriwal attempts to make the examination system more transparent for students

NEW DELHI: The results of the Board examinations might have changed the lives of students forever, but now they have a chance to make this process more accountable with a little help from the Right to Information Act, 2005. An unusual campaign titled "It's the Question of Your Answers" has been launched by this year's Magsaysay Award winner Arvind Kejriwal to make the system more transparent for students.

Under this campaign, students can ask the Public Information Officers (PIOs) to furnish information about the examination that they have taken. From the criteria of marking, their marks break-up, reasons for delay in examination and results, model answers and even the name of the examiners and tabulation sheets submitted by these examiners, the students will be able to literally get answers to everything.

Comprehensive campaign

This campaign will cover all internal assessment and University and Board examinations, competitive examinations, departmental exams and those conducted for admissions to various institutions.

Nearly 200 student volunteers from different colleges who have been trained for this campaign were present at its formal launch this past weekend. These volunteers will now help other students in filing applications to get copies of the evaluated answer sheets under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Addressing the gathering, Arvind Kejriwal called upon the students to ensure that this campaign is "owned" by each of them. Aheli Chowdhury from Josh, the organisation that trained the 200 students, said: "We as students identify and appreciate the strengths of our education system, but as students it is also our duty to see that this system, which not only decides on how much marks we obtain but also our future, is faultless and accountable for its actions."

Students from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, St. Stephen's College, Lady Shri Ram College, Hindu College, Kamla Nehru College, Janki Devi Memorial College, Faculty of Law of Delhi University, the Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Research, and Indraprastha University were present at the gathering and pledged active participation in the campaign.

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