The Bomb Blast Question

<i>What are the politically correct questions for board exams?</i> Its that time of the year again when lakhs of students across India sit for their CBSE board examinations,the results of which largely determine where their next few years are going to be spent: in the hallowed corridors of an IIT or a capitation college in South India.

What are the politically correct questions for board exams?

Its that time of the year again when lakhs of students across India sit for their CBSE board examinations,the results of which largely determine where their next few years are going to be spent: in the hallowed corridors of an IIT or a capitation college in South India. So much hinges on these three-four weeks in a students life that no wonder many crack under the pressure. (Psychiatrists privately refer to March as Indias suicide season.) This year,however,the first paper English Core had questions that were a dramatic departure from the usual predictable stuff every student would prepare for. Like,Imagine being a witness to a blast in a Delhi market and write a report a question that has outraged some parents who find it insensitive.

If the idea is to explore a students imagination and writing skills,I think its an excellent question and a pertinent one,since all of us in India could be in that situation any time. Even exam papers are beginning to reflect the reality. Asking a teenager to imagine and write about a traumatic and violent situation is,in any case,a lot less traumatic than taking the board examinations. I suspect the parents who are outraged are the ones who are not entirely convinced of their kids ability to think and write out-of-the-box. Every school-going 16-year-old knows the dangers that lurk about; many kids are made aware of the potential disasters by parents themselves. English is widely accepted as the easiest and most scoring of the board-exam papers,so maybe,questions like this threw students off balance and turned already stressed-out parents into nervous wrecks.

Its the second question,a comprehension passage,that I found a little shocking,There are some who accept competition in a healthy fashion and others who collapse into weeping wrecks. Either the examiner who set the paper has a really twisted sense of humour or hes deliberately poking fun at students who have a hard time coping. The sneering tone of this question smacks of an opinion: that those who cant cope are losers. Depression and anxiety disorders are real issues and there are students who need professional help to deal with stress. Questions like this arent really helping in confidence-building.

The mind has a nice way of filtering out all the unpleasantness of youth. When people look back and reminisce nostalgically about their student days,nobody remembers the long days and nights spent studying,the soaring expectations and the anxiety of waiting for your results. Students view the boards as a make-or-break exam and dont have the wisdom that comes with middle age that Class XII is a milestone in your life,nothing more. However,they have a much harder time than we did. The numbers of excellent and prestigious colleges havent gone up proportionately to the numbers of students scoring a 99 percent. You can be an outstanding student and still not get anywhere. And its not just the poor performers who are stressed out,there are many examples of toppers who cant handle the pressure of Class XII either. They dont need the examiners to rub it in.

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