KARACHI: A day after he directed the authorities to launch a crackdown against the “cheating mafia”, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited two examination centres in the city on Tuesday as part of his strategy to curb copy culture.

Mr Shah had ordered the Counter-Terrorism Department to take action to prevent unfair means and leak of question papers during the ongoing intermediate examinations in various divisions of Sindh.

On Monday, Mr Shah paid a surprise visit to the examination centres established in Islamia College and Aisha Bawani College, where intermediate examinations were in progress in two shifts.

Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) chairman Prof Inam Ahmed, principal secretary Sohail Rajput and secretary of universities and boards Naveed Shaikh also accompanied him.

Says ‘copy culture’ is eating into the vitals of the system

Mr Shah did not take his mobile phone in any of the centres to abide by his own directives that no one would be allowed to carry a mobile phone in any examination centre.

He began his visit from the Islamia College where he went to every classroom and spoke to students taking the examination.

He told the students that adopting unfair means during examination would destroy future generations.

During his stay at Islamia College, the CM found a mobile phone with an invigilator. He expressed his displeasure and asked secretary Shaikh to issue a circular to all the examination boards that no invigilator, supervisor or board officials would be allowed to carry mobile phones inside an examination centre.

“They have to supervise examinations; why are they bringing their mobile phones inside,” he exclaimed, adding that strict action would be taken against those who violated his directives.

Later, he went to the Aisha Bawani College and visited the classes where examination was in progress.

He asked students if they had been given question papers in time.

“I don’t want to disturb you in your exams but I would urge you to work hard and qualify your examinations without any illegal support,” he said.

“Unfair means would destroy you and your future. This is as simple as that. The choice is yours and I am sure you would choose the best,” he said.

CM Shah warned an assistant commissioner who was carrying a mobile phone in his hand.

Talking to reporters, the CM said that the copy culture in the existing education system was like a termite “which is eating into vitals of the system”.

“I am taking stern measures to stop cheating during examinations for which I need support of parents, teachers, examiners and everyone from civil society to eliminate this menace,” he said. “This has to be eliminated by improving overall educational system right from primary to higher secondary.”

Principal’s vehicle attacked

The principal of the Government College of Education was on Tuesday allegedly attacked by angry students, who also damaged his car, after examination hours.

Principal Sohail-ur-Rahman alleged that he was attacked because he denied the students the use of unfair means during the exam.

Although the area police and officials of the BIEK sounded least bothered about his complaint, footage of his damaged car shown on news channels strengthened his allegation.

“Principal Sohail-ur-Rahman of the college situated in Federal B Area Block 15 approached us after the exam,” confirmed Jauharabad SHO Tariq Raheem. “After an initial probe we found that it was not an attack as the damage to the car was a result of mismanagement. No complaint was registered.”

The college administration, he explained, collected mobile phones of students before the examination and a chaos-like situation was created when the administration was returning the mobile phones to students.

“There were 600 students and handing their phones one by one was a tough task. The principal’s car was parked within the same area where the activity was going on. So in the rush and panic, it got damaged,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2017