PUNE, Jan 19: At a time when thousands of class XII students across the State are helplessly watching their academic career take a toss, State Board officials appear to have virtually slammed the doors on them.The Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education has not only been mum on the issue but at the same time its officers have ``officially'' refused to clarify public doubts regarding the examination schedule.After making frantic efforts this past week to contact the board chairman during which he was reportedly ``busy in a meeting during duty hours,'' this reporter went to his office in an attempt to get the board's official version on the examination situation.But the reporter was curtly told by the chairman's office staff that the latter had given clear instruction to the staff to ``not to allow any journalist get through.'' The staff also attributed the same reason for telephone calls not reaching him.The staff instead directed the reporter to the Pune Divisional Board Chairman's office. The latter, stating that the orders come from the chairman's office, again suggested that the chairman was the right person to get a clarification on the exam schedule.Chief Minister Manohar Joshi during his visit to the city on Saturday had ruled out postponement of the HSC exams while reiterating that the syllabus in affected junior colleges would be completed on time.
