PUNJAB STATE TECHNICAL EDUCATION BOARD WINS ACCOLADES FOR IMPLEMENTING EXAMINATION REFORMS: HARJOT SINGH BAINS

Chandigarh, June 9:

To ensure zero tolerance in copying/cheating during examination, the Punjab State Board of Technical Education and Industrial Training (PSBTE & IT) is adopting strict anti-copying policies in examinations.

Technical Education & Industrial Training Minister states S. Harjot Singh Bains today said that under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Mann, PSBTE & IT has took the decision to ensure zero tolerance in copying/cheating in examination by shifting all the centres of polytechnic and pharmacy colleges to government run Polytechnics and ITI’s. Now, it has been made mandatory in the institutes to conduct the examination under CCTV surveillance as board has spent significant amount in installing CCTVs in Govt Polytechnics and ITIs. The mapping of as many as 220 polytechnic and pharmacy institutes has been done for the ease of students so that no one faces difficulty in reaching his/her exam centre.

The Minister informed that CCTV Monitoring Board has spent around Rs.3 crore on installing CCTVs in 26 Govt Polytechnics and 115 Govt ITIs. CCTV cameras are also installed in newly inducted centres of Deptt of Higher Education and Punjabi University Campus.

S. Harjot Singh Bains that for the first time Board has set up a Control Room in Boards office to monitor the CCTV Cameras installed in all Examination Centres. Roster of officials has also been prepared to monitor exam centres in the Control Room. This has resulted in complete transparency in the exams.

The Cabinet Minister said that the Technical Education Board has been working continuously in improving the quality of Technical Education in the state and achieved the objectives in ensuring transparency in conducting the fair examination of Diploma in Polytechnic & Pharmacy courses. In previous examinations, which were earlier held in private institutes, there were numerous complaints of unfair means being used by students, which were not only causing losses to intelligent and hardworking students but were also a blot on the whole reputation of the technical education system that’s why the Technical Education Board has implemented these examination reforms, he added.

He said that higher education institutions and Punjabi University campus have also been used as examination centres for the first time. The Department of Higher Education and State Technical Universities also cooperated in this whole process. During these examinations, surprise checking of the exam centres is also conducted by sending the flying squad teams of the officers of department of Technical Education and Technical Education Board. Officials from Department of Technical Education, Medical Education and Higher Education are also deputed as observers in these exam centres. Apart from this officials from District administration also entrusted with task to check exam centres in their respective districts.

The minister informed that 14 flying squad teams of Principals have been formed to check district wise Centres. 13 teams of DTE/Board have been formed to check district wise Centres. Officials from deputy commissioner office also requested to check centres in their respective districts.

Besides this, 52 faculty members from Department of Technical Education, Medical Education and Higher Education are deputed as Observers at various Exam Centres, said the cabinet Minister, adding that the hardworking students are appreciating the efforts of the government and hoping that it will continue in the future.